Give Thy Thoughts no Tongue
by as63926
Summary: On Bella's first day of college, she's seated next to mirror image of her dead mother. In her quest to find out the truth behind the resemblance, she's drawn into a world she never knew existed
1. Prologue

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

In the state of Washington under a near constant rain pour, there is a small town with just over three thousand residents. Bella Swan had been one of the residents. She started out on the other side of the country where she had been adopted at birth by her birth mother's best friend, Renee and new husband, Charlie. Renee had left Bella in Charlie's care when Bella was six, promising to return as soon when she got settled. Charlie knew better; he knew Renee would never return for either of them.

Less than a year later, he signed divorce papers. Renee had not asked for anything; spousal support or her half of everything. Nor had she asked for visitation rights to Bella. She signed her parental rights away. Bella could remember Renee saying goodbye, the clothes she wore, her reddish-brown hair pulled into a messy bun, but she could not remember what her voice sounded like. She stopped asking Charlie questions about her when she turned nine...when she would no longer pull memories from her mind.

She finished high school with several friends. Most were going away for college just as she planned to do. She wanted to attend WSU, but her 'maternal' grandparents made her an offer she couldn't refuse. They were actually her birth mother's parents and they had always been close as they were the only grandparents she had. Charlie's parents died when she was a toddler and Renee's parents never cared. Her grandparents were guilty over her birth mother's death and had replaced her with Bella. Most of the time she didn't mind, they were in New York and she only seen them for two weeks during the summer and every few Christmas' when they would come to Forks.

She knew they had a trust fund set for her, the one that was to go to her mother, before the accident.

She also had aunts, uncles, and cousins who she became close with. Everyone said she looked just like her father, but she had her mother's beauty. Apparently it was a dangerous mixture. Her birth father died mysteriously weeks after her birth. His name was not on her birth certificate, she was a bastard. He told everyone he wasn't the father, but no one believed him. One of her aunts had been fed up with the lie and when Bella was eleven she had a DNA test run on his parents to prove he was her father.

Bella had been given his inheritance in increments over the years. Charlie put it in a savings account for college. She would be able to go to any college in the world with it. The only time he let her have access to it had been to buy a car. She wanted a brand new car, but he got her a 1953 Chevy. She learned to adore it. No one told Bella what her father's name was, they told her it was best not to know what kind of person he had been. His parents didn't want anything to do with her; wouldn't even remember her name. They knew her as, 'that girl who took our beloved son's money, just like her mother had wanted'. Bella knew them as, 'those vile creatures'.

She started school in East Tennessee after her grandparents made her the offer. In her first class, on her very first day, she sat three desks down from a female who looked remarkably like the pictures she had of her birth mother.

**Chapter End Notes:**

Thank you to CullenBabe1231 for Beta-ing this for me, she cleaned everything like Danny Tanner...


	2. wisely and slowly, they stumble that run

Author's Chapter Notes:

Five star hotels have nothing on Cullenbabe1231's mad clean-up skills...

I own my first case of dandruff, but nothing henceforth.

Things got creepier when a man with dark copper hair came into the classroom and sat beside the statuesque flaxen female. Bella had seen him before; she had a picture of him from when she was born. Her mother was supposed to be dead, not looking the same as pictures Bella had of her from twenty-odd years ago. The man looked like the man from the very first picture ever taken of her, whom she was told named her. The professor called the class to order, but Bella didn't hear anything he said. Instead, she made cow eyes at the two perpetual beings beside of her.

At one point, the female turned her head a fraction towards Bella and glowered at her with a penetrating stare. It was at that moment that Bella turned her head and listened closely to what the lecturer was saying. As the other students began to leave the class, Bella decided to take her hour break between classes to go home and investigate. She rummaged through her old book of pictures until she found the ones she was looking for. As she stared at the two pictures, comparing details from the persons she had seen earlier to the decades old pictures, she noted that her mother had not been as pale and dauntingly beautiful as the female in class; she had been softer somehow, but could still very well be the same person. The man looked exactly the same, however; ravaged hair and sharp striking features.

"Bella, I thought you would be in class; I brought you some coffee to go," her grandmother said, startling her out of her trance.

"I forgot my cell. I came by to get it before my next class," she stuttered.

She lied to her grandmother; she couldn't very well tell her that she thought she had seen her dead mother and a man that could have been decades old, but looked to be in his early twenties. After leaving, she called the only other person who she thought could give her answers.

Old-man Quil used to tell the children out on the reservation scary stories about the legend of the "cold ones" from when he was a tyke in the 1930's. No one believed him, but Bella knew something no one else did: Quil had drawn a picture of the vampires that he claimed to have met, and it just so happened that one of the three men looked just like the picture she had of a man holding her in a hospital.

The phone rang several times before he answered gruffly. "Hello?"

"Quil?" Bella inquired.

"Bella, is something wrong. Why are you calling so early in the morning?" he asked.

Bella looked at the time; it was past nine in the morning. "No, nothing is wrong. I had my first class this morning, and we are studying mythical creatures. Vampires are the first thing we are studying, I have a paper due the next class; I thought I could get some insight from you."

"And you had to call at five AM?" he asked quizzically.

In her confusion, she put aside that Washington was four hours behind her. "I guess I'm nervous, first assignment and all. Will you please tell me the story again?"

Quil told her the story of how his tribe had come across five vampires in the 1930's and made a treaty with them. He had been only nine at the time, but the memory stayed with him. He gave her several details of how they looked, how they spoke, and how they used their magic to persuade them to the treaty. Very pale with black and golden eyes, completely unnatural. Undead.

After hanging up with Quil, Bella left for class, scared for her life. Because she was the last one to arrive to the small English class, there had been only one seat left, and she didn't pay attention to who she was sitting next to as she hurriedly tried to get her things in order. This professor was all business; he gave the class a poem to read and wanted a 500 word paper on it by the end of class. Fortunately, Bella had already read the poem before, and knew everything she needed. She worked diligently, completing the paper in under a half hour. When she handed her paper to the professor he told her she was free to leave after giving her a syllabus.

As she walked back to her seat, she noticed who she had been sitting beside. And his eyes were as black as pitch. She didn't know what to do, scream that there might be a vampire attending college? Or simply gather her things and run as fast as she could? Thankfully, she didn't have to do either.

Once she set back down to gather her things, the man-who she thought was a vampire-promptly took all of his things and left the room. Bella gathered her things and quietly tried to leave the classroom, but-since she was Bella-she had to trip on at least one piece of air. She only had a few minutes to get to her last class of the day, and as she passed through one building to the next, she saw a shiny silver Volvo speed like a bat out of hell from the parking lot she had been crossing. A familiar-looking person with bronze hair was positioned behind the wheel. Guess he was in a hurry.

She had been reluctant to go home after class as she knew her grandparents would be waiting for her to take up all of her time until she made an excuse to go to bed. The idea of getting a part-time job to take some of the hours away from her had crossed her mind from time-to-time, but she didn't know how much time fifteen credits in each semester would be consumed by studying. So, deciding she wasn't ready to go home just then, she went to the library to kill some time, and before she knew it, she was looking for mythical creatures online with her laptop.

She surpassed Wikipedia, blogs, and teenage girl silly dreams. However, several pages back, she found a site by an old Cherokee with descriptions of 'cold ones'. She read everything on the site, the only difference between it and Quil's tale was the violence and red eyes of these vampires. Why would they have red eyes? Needing answers, she called Quil again; though, this time he wasn't convinced when she started asking questions.

"Bella, are you sure you are just writing a paper?" he asked.

"Yeah, just trying to be thorough. So, the red eyes?" she replied hurriedly. She needed answers.

"The Cullens said that their eyes were golden due to their diet of animal blood," he answered.

"Cullens? You never told us a name before," she stated.

"Bella, I have to go, I can't help you anymore. Please be careful and don't call again." With those as his final words on the subject, Quil hung up on her.

Not entirely happy with her lack of answers, she called her father next. "Hey, baby. How was your first day at college?"

"Hi, dad, it's fine. I have a question though. I was going through my baby pictures and found a picture of what looked like me as a newborn. Some guy was holding me in a hospital nursery; do you know who that was?"

"Wow, I haven't seen that picture since we had it developed. I don't remember anything about it, what the guy looked like or even his name. I do know that the nurses said that he helped deliver you and came in with you. They said he stayed with you until we came a couple days after your birth to take custody of you. Why did you want to know?" he asked.

"Just curious," she said with a shrug.

"Did you look on the back? I think the nurses might have written on it," he suggested.

"Okay, well I have to go, dinner with Wendy and Mike," she replied trying to get off the phone.

"Your grandparents are treating you well? They aren't overwhelming you?" Charlie knew how they were, wanting to occupy everything Bella did.

"They're okay; I think I can handle them," she replied. At lease, she hoped she could handle them. They said goodbye with promises to call, and when Bella finally returned home, she dug her photo book out. After locating the picture, she removed it from it's place and turned it over, reading the aged writing.

Edward Cullen and Isabella September 1992.

Chapter End Notes:

What do you think?


	3. Tis best to weigh

Author's Chapter Notes:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Much props to OCD cleaners cullenbabe1231 and angelgoddess1981...

Cullen?

Bella thought maybe it had been a coincidence, after all that is how she explained Quil's representation. Coincidence. Quil had seen the man holding her. Maybe he was a model in a fishing or hunting magazine. Everyone motioned he was fanatical anyhow, but that didn't clarify how he looked precisely unchanged. Going through more than a few speculations, she attended all of her classes the next day without anyone whom she recognized.

Lots of people have look-a-like kids. Maybe everyone really does have a twin or triplet.

Bella wanted to know more about the mysterious Edward Cullen, but didn't know who to ask. She couldn't very well ask the man in her class if he was the man in the photograph. Deciding to look into her own history, she walked into her grandparents' home.

"Grandma, are you guys home?" she asked.

"In here, Bella," Mike, her grandfather, answered from a lounge.

"Would you like something to drink?" Wendy, her grandmother, asked as she sat at a chaise.

They sat for a few minutes making chit chat when Bella uttered, "I want to know about my father."

Stillness, total silence, encompassed the room for a packed minute before Mike broke it. "You know everything there is to know," he muttered.

"No, I know nothing except he was wealthy and died weeks after I was born. Evidently he didn't want children," Bella countered.

"What do you want to know?" Wendy asked hesitantly.

Starting with basics sounded like a good plan.

"What is his name?" Bella asked in return.

Hoping the other had a decent response, the two elders looked across at each other as another approach was taken.

"Why didn't he want me?" she asked.

"Only he knew that," Mike replied.

"What did he look like?" she asked looking between her grandparents.

"You look like you mother, mostly, but with specs of him," Wendy answered.

"He had dark hair with red highlights when the sun hit it, just like you. His eyes were brown, though not as brown and deep as yours…" Wendy said as she trailed off.

"Tall, over six feet, mysterious, manner conductible when he wanted to be," Mike said picking up where the other left off. The secrets that were kept from Bella would not be exposed at the moment.

"Handsome, he had a tall dark and handsome look," Wendy said simply.

"Your mother had been crazy about him," Mike said with a small grimace on his face.

That was it. Bella could look at pictures of her mother and in the mirror and guess as much. After declining dinner, Bella went back to the pool house she resided in.

Between an undersized dorm room and her grandparents' abundant pool house, it was a trouble-free pick where she decided to live at the time. She didn't know of the consequences then. Growing up, she had only gotten a taste of the control her grandparents wanted. Charlie had always protected her from it.

Wendy was constantly making plans and then asking or pushing her into said plans. Movies, dinners, shopping, lunch, brunch; you name it she did it. She would come over and straighten the pool house everyday, make Bella's bed, do the dishes, and other household chores.

Arriving weeks ago, Bella was told to make herself at home, and that the pool house was hers for her liking. She had not been informed of the maid service and scrutiny that came along. Bella hoped it would get better when she got acquainted with people, made a few friends, and had a lot of studying.

The next class she had with the otherworldly beings had been a damp, humid day. Sitting behind them this time, the female arrived before the male. Mysterious, handsome, red highlights, tall. From where she sat she thought he had light brown eyes, the color of a number two pencil.

The professor, Dr Pierce, started his lecture and called for answers from the assigned reading material, asking for names as he went. He looked at the female in front of Bella and asked her name.

"Rosalie Hale," she answered stunning Bella silent.

Rosalie, Rosalie, Rosalie Hale.

There was a death certificate somewhere in her life's paperwork with that exact name. More shock came her way when the male was called upon. A crushed velvet voice answered.

"Edward Cullen."

For a moment she thought maybe she had misunderstood.

Her mind heard what it had wanted to. Pierce asked her a question about Freud, and then waited for a name. A lie was considered, but he was taking their names down.

"Isabella Swan," she squeaked, barely above a whisper.

"Speak up, I didn't catch that." Speaking louder until he got her name, she took her attention from him, noticing Edward Cullen had turned around staring at her, with puzzlement.

Is his nose flaring?

The first to leave class, she hastened into the restroom promptly vomiting her breakfast. Dropping down to the floorboards with tears down her face, she ran her theories again.

Wasn't there an X-Man that didn't age? Plastic surgery? Very realistic ghost? Did they run away and fake their deaths? Maybe they faked their death and found the fountain of youth? Was Edward her father? He could have impregnated Rosalie, turned her into a vampire after she was born, and then disappeared with her. But there was an urn of ashes belonging to Rosalie Hale on a fireplace mantel? Why were they here in East Tennessee? Did they want her now?

After sitting and crying and pondering, she got up and fixed herself for class and exited the room.

She was looking down at her phone answering a text when she collided with a concrete wall.

"Whoa," she cried as she started to teeter backwards. A strong arm shot out and caught her just before she went from flustered to flat out wrong and on her ass.

It was just her luck to walk into a wall and knock herself out.

"Shit."

Crimson faced, she glanced roughly to see if anyone had seen her unpolished smack. The lone individual about was Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen had stopped her from falling.

Chapter End Notes:

Let me know what you think...


	4. Listen to many, speak to few

Author's Chapter Notes:

Not mine, however I do employ two pro bono betas who do fabulous jobs, AngelGoddess1981 and CullenBabe1231, perfect, just perfect betas...

"Hello, I'm Edward. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself on Monday. We have our next class together. I was wondering if I could accompany you on the walk," he said smoothly.

Bella decided it didn't matter what his name was as he gracefully steadied her like she was a GI Joe. She could see now that his eyes were not brown, but a golden hue. If gold could be beggaring description. Gold, orange, brown, and peach swirled and pooled in liquid form to make an incommunicable color. It had been an insult to say brown or any other monotone tint. A sour notion ran through her that Quil had been dim-witted to say gold.

"Isabella?"

"Uh-huh?" she answered lost in the color of his eyes.

"May I walk you to class?" he asked with a slight smirk upon his face.

Not being able to from a word much less a sentence, she blinked and looked elsewhere. She had to get her shit together. After her mind cleared, she remembered.

Undead.

Vampire.

Daddy?

As they walked through the teeming lots to class, questions were uneasily asked.

"Weren't your eyes black the other day? Did you get contacts?"

If so, I want a pair.

"No, it's the fluorescents," Edward lied effortlessly.

"We'll be tardy if we don't move a bit quicker," he said as he fluently moved away from the discussion.

They walked in friendly silence for a while, but for reasons beyond him, he wanted to know what Isabella knew. The last thing he knew was that Isabella was living contentedly with her adoptive parents in Forks. Edward had Alice watch the new family until they made it to Forks safely, and then pledge to, by no means, look again. Alice kept her declaration, for the most part, until three months ago.

"You look like you have been crying, is something wrong?" he asked.

Every last tear and red mark was washed and dried in the bathroom, but not meticulous enough.

"Allergies," she fibbed. "Is there a reason you wanted to walk me to class?"

Why are you walking me to class? Why do you look exactly as you did 20 years ago? Are you a vampire? Are you my father? Are you going to kill me or turn me into a vampire?

Outside of their class building, Edward looked at her. He looked through her; into her. Sooner than he could respond, his receptive ears revealed signs of a hydroplaning and the screeching tires of a van. Looking towards the van, Bella saw her luck coming back to bite her in the ass. She couldn't outrun the ER visits.

Before she could bat an eyelid, Bella was being held on the ground with Edward looming over top of her, his arm outstretched and plowing into the side of a green van. She saw the van careen into his hand. It should have crushed both of them, but his hand made an indent and stopped the van in its tracks. As Bella opened her mouth to question Edward's well being, they were congregated by students and faculty. Edward removed his hand from the van and lifted Bella, for the second time in ten minutes, from the ground. In the distance they could hear and see university grounds police and more people wanting to catch a glimpse of the devastation. Inclining against Edward, she registered cold.

It was a balmy day, but Edward was very cool. Not quite an ice cube, not quite the temperature outside. An ambulance came and was refused; Bella didn't want to start her college life off with a trip in an ambulance. She assured the EMT's that if she felt any thing from their check list, she would go straight to an ER. Edward tried to persuade her to go. His brother evidently was an attending at the local hospital and he assured her complete privacy; no gimmicks.

"Edward, I'll go to a hospital, if you tell me how you stopped that van," she insisted.

"Fine, I will drive you," he ordered. At the end of the building was his car in a fire lane.

"Did you park here?" she asked.

"No, my sister brought it for me."

"When? I didn't see you use a phone and I don't see Rosalie anywhere," she observed.

"You hit your head. You might have a concussion and you are very unperceptive at the moment," he pointed out.

Arriving at the ER, they passed by sick children, and angered people waiting in triage when they went into a private office. Looking like a very pale Calvin Klein model, Carlisle Cullen waltzed in and introduced himself.

"Edward says you might have hit your head?" he said with a smile.

"I'm actually fine, just a little sore," she complained as the soap opera worthy doctor prodded her head.

His hands are cold.

After an inspection and a recommendation for rest and Tylenol, if needed, Bella met Edward in the corridor. "Okay, I'm going to live," she pointed out. "Tell me."

There was a charged awkward instant as Edward collected his view. Gone were his respectful mannerisms.

"I had an adrenaline rush. You can Google it," he snapped.

You didn't have to lie to me.

"I don't believe you," she countered.

"What do you think happened?"

You're my vampire father, coming to assemble me for your vampire anthology.

"I think you stopped the van with your hand."

"No one will believe you," he said in warning.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone."

After uncomfortably driving back to the university, Bella skipped her last class and went home to rest although her head did hurt.

That night was the first night she dreamed of Edward Cullen.

The next day Bella had friends, tons of friends. Everyone wanted to know about the accident; how she survived, how she felt, and if she needed any help. By the end of the day, she had twenty new phone numbers, twitter handles, and lunch dates.

Friday came and Rosalie arrived to class, but Edward did not. Rosalie ignored Bella as her classmates questioned her until Pierce called the class to order. After class ended, she had wanted to gain Rosalie's attention, but she had been ignored thus far. If Edward had been harmed, she would tell her, right? Grouping together all of her confidence, she walked up to her.

"Excuse me, you're Rosalie, right? I'm Bella. I was wondering why Edward isn't in class, is he okay? Was he hurt from the other day?" she requested.

Her response was cold and quick. "He is well."

However, his presence was not in class for the following week. Over the weekend, Wendy had wanted to take a trip with Bella. She requested they go to Cherokee, a two hour drive, for the day and where Bella would get all the information she needed to prove that the three persons she had met were in fact vampires.

Monday everyone was in attendance to Pierce's class, including Edward. Bella was too intimidated to speak to him in front of Rosalie, so she waited until their next class.

"Edward," she began for her line of questioning.

He nodded his head that he had heard her, and then promptly ignored her for the rest of the class. The same thing happened for the next month of classes. He barely noticed her presence, not speaking unless called upon by Pierce or their English professor, Ms. Grey.

Chapter End Notes:

Thanks for all of the reviews, I have been told at work to calm my smart ass down, so I might take it out on the reviews, but honestly I adore each and every one, keep them coming, please...


	5. The lady doth protest too much

Author's Chapter Notes:

I owned this for a few minutes, then I woke up in my Ikea bed. Much love to CullenBabe1231 and AngelGoddess1981 for not charging me in my assault on the english language, it's a felony worth life without parole...

The silence of the vampires, as Bella referred to it, lasted for two months. A confrontation was considered and wanted several times, but she always chickened out at the last moment. Paying more attention than she had been comfortable with, she learned several things about Edward.

She had seen him holding hands with a dark haired girl named Kate several times. Vampires were evidently polygamous; although she had never seen him and Rosalie hold hands, or enter their class at the same time. There was another female, Alice, which he was spotted with several times, mostly at the library. A tiny stature of a girl, barely over five feet tall, with a boyish figure and always dressed like a Karl Lagerfeld's muse. She was mostly seen arguing with Edward, and seemed nice to Bella, smiling at every chance. She was far more nice than the others.

Rosalie and Edward ignored her, Kate glared at her, but Alice seemed to want to talk to her. Once at the library, she had caught Bella's attention and pleadingly mouthed, 'can I join you?'. Bella nodded, but as the girl got out of her chair, Edward grabbed her wrist and roughly put her back in the chair. To an outsider, it looked as though they were staring at each other, but Bella noticed their lips moving quickly and quietly as though they were shouting at each other, arguing rather heatedly. She couldn't hear anything, and Kate glared at her again.

The times she caught him not ignoring her he was staring at her, looking as though he was the coyote and she was the roadrunner. Though, it was only a second or two before he looked away, she saw it.

Walking towards her car at the end of a day, Bella noticed a piece of paper under her wiper. Cursing under her breath at what was assumed was a parking ticket, she grabbed the paper and stuck it in one of her notebooks; it could wait. As she angrily stuffed it into the book she noted that it was a heavier paper than the parking tickets she had gotten other places. Port Angeles knew her old truck by heart and she had given them too much money. She pulled the paper back out and looked at it when she was settled into her car.

We need to talk - Alice

"Stupid fucking vampires with their stupid fucking perfect handwriting," she muttered.

She started backing her car out of the spot, but Edward was standing behind her car. Walking to the passenger side, he slid into the car without asking for permission.

"Excuse me! Get the hell out of my car," she shrieked.

"We need to talk," Edward calmly stated.

"No, you need to get out of my car," she argued and pointed to the door.

"You know too much," he declared, ignoring her demand and how first-class her finger smelled.

"I know nothing," she countered.

"I heard what you said when you read the note Alice left you," he challenged. He had her there.

Stupid vampire hearing.

There was a war was going on inside her, she could confront him now or she could fudge.

What the hell.

"Does it scare you, Edward, that I know you and your harem are vampires? Or should it scare me that you are here in my car refusing to get out?" she stormed.

"Harem?" he repeated.

"Yes, harem. Rosalie, Kate, Alice, and whoever else you are hiding at home," she observed. Edward smirked, actually smirked at her.

"Rosalie and Alice are more sisterly to me than anything; I'm only in a relationship with Kate at the moment," he corrected.

"I don't care aboutt your sister-wives," she roared.

"But again, you know too much," Edward stated, internally laughing at her sister-wives joke.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, no one would believe me, remember," she said, exasperated.

"I need to know everything that you know," he demanded.

"I know you have about five seconds before I call the police to pull you out of my car," she warned.

"You also know that they wouldn't be able to, unless I went willingly," he said with another smirk on his pale face.

Anger filled her that he had the upper hand on her.

"You know what, have at it; I don't want to go home anyway," she revealed.

With that she took her bag and exited the car without her keys, and him right on her heels.

"Why don't you want to go home?" he asked.

She hesitated, and then was interrupted.

"Edward?" a female's voice called out. Now Kate was glaring at both of them.

"Could you please teach her some manners or at least your 'ignore Bella' skills? I'm tired of the glaring," Bella snarled.

"Goodbye, Bella. Have a nice evening," he announced.

He handed her car keys to her and walked over to Kate.

Getting back to her car, she saw Edward and 'glarer' across the lot at his car arguing. After a few seconds she stomped away; how anyone could gracefully stomp away was beyond her. Edward turned towards Bella and smiled.

Fucker is smiling at me.

The next day instead of sitting with Rosalie, Edward sat with Bella.

"Hi," she snapped, she hadn't had enough sleep for his games.

"Hello," he stated as he emptied his school bag for the class.

Rosalie turned to glower at them, and then left the room.

"She's not a fan of mine," she indicated.

"Something of that connotation," he noted.

"What brought this on?" she requested, though, she did not get an answer.

Placing his things back into his satchel alarmed Bella more than she wanted it to.

"Are you leaving?" she sputtered, embarrassing herself.

"No, Pierce is not coming in; we will be free to leave in a moment," she could hear the smile in his voice; again she liked it too much.

He could be your father, quit acting like you have a crush.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I can hear the phone conversation taking place with his secretary," he said simply.

"I'm sure you can," she said sarcastically.

"Are you going to tell me how and what you know?" he asked.

"Are you going to trust me not to tell anyone?"

Looking away from her for a moment, and then smirking he answered.

"Yes, I trust you," he confirmed. "But I would still like to know."

"Is this really the setting to be talking about this?" She motioned towards the other students as he noted there were seventy-two other people surrounding them.

"Perhaps not," he amended.

Secretary Jodi came into the room and announced they were free to leave for the hour. Everyone hurriedly left the hall except for Bella and Edward.

Looking towards him when everyone was gone, she whispered, "I know Rosalie is my mother and I think that you are my father. Though I don't exactly know what happened."

Evil smirk came back into play.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" he requested.

"Well, no one in my family will tell me about my father. They told me what he looked like, and you pretty much meet criteria. I have a picture of you holding me when I was born, and I was told that you stayed with me for days. Whatever your relationship is with Rosalie, she is here with you."

When Edward didn't respond, she took that as a confirmation and exited the room with him still sitting at his desk. Looking back once, he had not moved.

Arriving at the next class on time for once, there was a piece of paper at her desk, but no Edward. Written in perfect penmanship was a note.

You are wrong about me.

Chapter End Notes:

Thanks for the reviews and feedback, muchas gracias por todas y cada una, you can blame Google for the translation; I am a terrorist on Spanish also. What do you think?

Oh, before I forget again, I am on Twitter, stigmame, where I am lonely and tired of reading 50 cent and Sheen's stupidness, if you want you can come read my preposterous and extremely psychotic ramblings


	6. And oftentimes excusing of a fault

Author's Chapter Notes:

Big thank you to AngelGoddess1981 for all the work she had to do with this chapter, my destruction of the English language is punishable by tongue removal in some parts of the universe.

Not mine people, not mine.

There had been a lecture on persuasive essays that day in class, though Bella did not hear any of it that dreary morning. All she could think about was Edward's note as Ms Grey spoke about utilizing logic and reason.

Wrong about me, what does that mean, she thought.

Had she been wrong that he was her father, or wrong about his polygamist tribe; had it really been him in the picture with her?

It had to be, he basically agreed that he is a vampire, right? He had not disagreed with me on that assumption, Bella thought.

Later that day she faked a migraine to get out of a seven course feast with Mike and Wendy. While doing her homework in the dark, she couldn't stop her psyche from drifting from Darwin to Cullen.

"Maybe he still just wants me to join some creepy vampire army," she mumbled.

On the dreaming end, dream Bella and Edward were becoming quite badly behaved; reprimanding herself the next morning by no means helped.

"You don't need to be having sex dreams about someone who you thought was your father. Or future murderer. Or something," she prattled off to herself.

Edward had sat outside on a bench in the garden watching and listening to something he knew he shouldn't have been. He desperately tried to keep himself on the bench and not join her on the bed.

You don't want to do that, Alice thought.

Looking towards his sister, who had appeared out of nowhere he sighed. "I spoke with her today. She is incorrect on a good deal; she thought I was her father," Edward stated looking towards his sister, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"After these dreams, I don't think she is still confused about that tidbit." A huge smile had grown across her face at her declaration.

"I'm scared," he declared.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"We could leave," he pushed out deplorably. He hated the thought of leaving.

"You would come back," she countered.

"I could still ignore her," he stammered passively; he hated that idea also.

"Pfft," she blubbered. "What about Kate?"

Gazing at her, he begged her to end the line of thinking. He didn't want to think about how he wanted to tell Kate to go straight to hell and lodge himself next to Bella for the rest of her life. His preoccupation with the girl was banal, comical, and shocking even to him.

The logical, and more gentlemanly, side said to stop pushing Kate away; stop using her to combat lonesomeness and sexual frustration. Make a commitment to her. When she told him that she loved him, he wanted to say it back and actually mean it. He knew it was in the wrong to string Kate along. He knew he should walk away from Bella and had a mediocre eternity with the beautiful vampire waiting from him at home. But he wouldn't; he would not leave Bella alone and he would keep lying to everyone.

There were only a couple of people that kept in touch with Bella after the near death experience chaos dwindled. She had a couple of friends, including Angela. Both being smart, cynical and crass, they had fallen into an easy friendship.

"I had a sex dream about EC last night," she said while she ate lunch with Angela in one of the common areas on campus.

"And?" Angela commanded.

"And I shouldn't be, he's," she stammered. "He's an asshole."

"A great-looking asshole, one night stand material. Fuck his brains out, use a condom. That girlfriend of his looks and acts like she has screwed everything in the continental US," Angela amended.

"Acts?" Bella tried to ask indifferently as she pleaded for further information; Anglea saw through her.

"I have a Tuesday evening class with her; all of her work is sexualized. She can compare nail polish remover to oral sex. It's insane and genius. It's very Charlie Sheen at the moment," she declared.

Bella couldn't help the cerebral homemade sex tapes of Edward and Kate in the throes of passion. Then, she found herself replacing Kate in the same throes.

I wonder if she calls him daddy in bed, Bella wondered to herself. "Fuck my life," she cried as she slammed her head down onto her book.

"You are so daydreaming about EC," Angela teased.

"Shut it, you. I have to go."

"Bye, nerd," Angela exclaimed.

"Bye, skank," Bella countered.

As she left the immense student common area, Kate glared at her, Alice grinned, and Edward stared at the table.

Great, they know I'm having naughty dreams about Edward, she complained internally.

That night Edward watched Bella have another dream about him. He wanted to enter her home. He wanted to know more about her, but he didn't trust himself to move from the bench in the garden. He was fascinated with her flailing in her bed, not knowing how she didn't roll out of bed at least four times a night. There were also her talking spells; they often kept him and an owl entertained through the nights he spent with her.

That was the sixth night in two months that he had watched her; he would have been there every night, if it wasn't for coming up with a reason so Kate wouldn't to follow him. His numerous excuses included several errant hunting trips with the boys and time to clear his head. There was one: "I just want to be alone".

Alice had been the only one who knew where he went; the only one who knew anything. Rosalie was so angry that she refused to talk to him, but she wouldn't break his trust by saying anything to anyone. Kate assumed Bella had a crush on Edward and was stalking him, not the other way around. Edward never corrected her assumption. She had to be stopped on several occasions from confronting Bella - that would have been bad news all around.

Edwards's phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Hello, Rosalie," he acknowledged as she started speaking before he finished,

"I dropped the class. Whatever your fascination is with that girl, deal with it," she demanded and then hung up.

What brought that on, he wondered as another call buzzed.

He let Kate go to voicemail before he received a text message seconds later that answered Rosalie's phone call.

I thought you were hunting with the boys. I just got to the house and everyone is here but you. What's going on, why are you not answering your phone?

Not responding to Kate, but to Alice he typed.

I know I will not be able to stop your meddling for much longer, but you could be meddling helpfully and give me a heads up.

Seconds later, Alice responded.

Telling you wouldn't help my cause. I helped the situation more by not meddling this time. ;)

Groaning, he replied back.

How angry is she?

Not nearly as much as when you finally tell her to go back to Alaska, he heard Alice think several hundred feet away.

"I never decided to do so," he murmured.

"You will," she avowed as she sat next to him on his bench. "This bench smells like you now."

He overlooked her jab as he asked, "What about Rose?"

"It's better to stay silent; she is out of the way for now," she related.

"What happens if we tell her?" he requested.

The vision she showed included himself, doubled over wailing in pain, and Rosalie throwing his twig and berries out into the ocean from a sea plane. Any plan of telling Rosalie fled with the vision.

"Better to keep it to ourselves, then," he insisted.

You wouldn't be the first she castrated, she thought giggling to herself.

Edward was satisfied with listening to Bella sleeping; Alice was scheming. Blocking him with various things until she grabbed hold of something accommodating; he saw a cat got the cream look come upon her.

"Tanya will accidentally sink her teeth into one of her flings. They will have an incontrollable newborn in less than a month," she mentioned.

"And no one can control a newborn like Kate," he emphasized.

Chapter End Notes:

What do you think? Good, bad, should my computer be removed from me?


	7. Every man must play a part

Author's Chapter Notes:

AngelGoddess1981 had her time with this one, much props.

Not mine people, not mine.

()()()()()()

Edward didn't return to the vast, hidden log home he shared with a very annoyed and pissed off Kate that night or morning. Instead, going straight to campus after Bella woke for the day; he didn't need to listen to her morning shower. He had parked his car about ten miles away, which, thanks to Alice, he came upon with fresh clothing and Emmett inside.

"Thinking of going back to school?" he asked, wondering why he was there.

"After the fucking tantrum Kate threw through the night, I think I may need to become your personal guard. She is furious with you," he answered.

"Is she?" Edward incuriously pondered how he would explain not coming home, but couldn't come up with the motivation to care.

"Don't 'is she?' me, Edward. Tell me what the hell is going on," Emmett demanded. Hearing Kate complain and bitch for several hours through the night had rubbed his normal good mood the wrong way.

"What did she tell you?" he calmly asked.

"She complained that you have been pulling back from her for months, closing off, and taking off. Just being off in general," he described. "And you are welcome, by the way; I covered your lying ass for these supposed hunting trips we have taken."

When Edward didn't respond, Emmett continued. "She says there is a human stalking you."

Leave it to Emmett to not beat around the bush with him.

"You know better than a human getting that close; even psychosomatic delusional ones have enough self preservation to stay away." With that they made their way to campus, parking beside Rosalie and Kate.

As Emmett grabbed Rosalie's ass, Kate glared at Bella's car coming into the lot.

Deal with this. Today, Rosalie warned as she watched Emmett follow Kate's glare.

Is that her? he thought.

After another night of the naughty Bella and Edward show, Bella saw a huge, built-for-kicking-ass man grab Rosalie's ass. They laughed and kissed as Kate glared at her and Edward ignored everyone, again.

Who is that? she thought.

In class Rosalie didn't show, but Edward sat beside her.

"Where is sister wife?" she asked.

"Sister Rosalie dropped the class," he joked.

She has figured out who I am and wants nothing to with me, she thought as she readied her notebook and pen for note taking.

"She doesn't know who you are," he stated.

"What are you talking about?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Rosalie was told you were being raised in Buffalo by your aunt and uncle; she thinks your name is Marie Hale."

"Why?" She wanted to know more than he was willing to give, but he could give her some things.

"It was a delicate situation when you were born; we couldn't tell her much."

"Who was the man in the lot, with you earlier?" she questioned.

Pierce started his lecture before an answer could be given. They both took meticulous notes. Bella needed to study, he just needed to have something to do besides stare at her. He knew what was going through her mind; he didn't have to be telepathic for that assumption. She thought Emmett was her father; Emmett as any one's father was laughable, ludicrous.

She doesn't know who I am; she was lied to just as I am being, she thought.

Though Bella had never been lied to, she just had not been given any information. Maybe Edward didn't know who her father was, but that didn't answer why Rosalie had dropped the class.

A grumbling stomach gave him the advantage he needed to spend more time with her, and he proposed breakfast after class.

"Do you enjoy O negative?" she joked, giggling at herself hoping it was a joke and not an incentive.

He smiled as he played along. "Did you just ridicule me?"

"I would never do something as callous as ridicule you," she expressed with a mock-stern voice making both of them laugh.

She walked to a bagel and coffee trolley, contemplating how to ask who had had a handful of Rosalie that morning.

"You are wrong," he bluntly stated, the second time he had answered her thoughts without prompt.

"Excuse me," she said,

"I know you are thinking Emmett is your father," he stated, leading her over to a secluded table on the far end of the yard.

"Who is he," she prompted and hoped that he would keep answering her questions.

"Rosalie's husband, who she met after your birth," he answered as vaguely as he could.

"How many are in this tribe of yours?" she asked.

Finally something he could answer without hesitation, "It's not my cult, I have a father figure. We are a family because of him; it includes seven of us. And then there is Kate."

"Kate is not part of the family?" she asked.

Muttering to himself how Kate desperately wanted to be part of the family, but also keeping some things private, he answered, "Kate's family is in Alaska. She has moved around with my family, more aptly with me, for the last decade or so."

"But you are in a relationship with her?" Both tensing at her question. He wanted to tell her that they would not be in a relationship for much longer if he had his way. Afraid to speak, he nodded his answer.

"Romantic?" she asked, not really wanting the truth if the truth was yes. It still bothered her how she wanted to know anything Edward had to say about any subject.

He sternly stared at her, as she looked at him expectantly. Her common sense indicator said to leave it alone, but he hesitantly answered. "It has been romantic at times, yes."

"And at this time?" she pushed, not knowing where the line was going to be cut off.

"She wants more than I am willing to offer," he conceded. Liking his answer, she pushed for more.

"Why do you not offer?" she whispered.

"I don't want her as a mate." His answer was more sure than anything else he had said in any conversation.

It had been completely inappropriate, but at the word 'mate', monkeys doing it in the jungle flashed through her mind, making her laugh.

"What is so amusing?" he asked. He didn't like being confused by her retorts at his matters of the heart.

Monkeys were replaced by them dressed as Tarzan and Jane, making her laugh harder.

"Nothing, just me being perverted," she stated as tears prickled.

Saying perverted made Edward think of many more perverted things he wanted to do to her. Thinking of Emmett in his birthday suit as she laughed, carefree, helped very little. Usually receiving confused and impatient looks, he enjoyed her radiant smile and lighthearted laugh.

"So, why does she glare at me?" she asked after her bout of hysterics calmed enough for her to speak.

"She thinks you are stalking me," he answered truthfully with a smile.

"Why do you not correct her?" she asked. "Would she stop if you corrected her?"

He knew they should leave, disappear from her life, but he wouldn't. He knew he should come clean to Kate that he had found his reciprocal and it was not her. But he would continue to be a coward and stay silent.

"I do not want to," he stated and added to himself, It's better if she thinks you are crazy than know the truth for the time being.

All of the answers she was getting emboldened her to push further.

"Do you know who my father is? Is he a vampire as well?" she questioned.

"I do, and no he is not. He is the normal dead; in a casket under ground."

"Will you tell me?" she shyly asked.

"Would it help anything?" he sternly asked. His mood shifted from giving to harsh.

"Would it hurt anything?" She knew the line had been crossed and he would not be answering any more of her paternity questions.

"Yes, it would; it is not a pretty story," he stated. "We will be late to class. We need to leave."

After Grey's class, Bella kept to her questions. Steering clear of her parentage, "Why will you not let Alice speak to me?"

"You will."

"When?"

"As soon as she can get around me."

She wanted to ask what he meant, but as long as he was answering her somewhat she wanted more information, "Does anyone other than you know who I am?"

"Alice does, she knows everything," he stated. "Even if you do not want her to."

Carlisle had been a different matter, and neither he nor Alice could figure out why he had not recognized Bella's scent at the hospital. They chalked it up to the last time he had seen her, she had been covered in another's blood and her scent was too muddled.

"Why is that?" she asked. "She knows everything even if you don't want her to?"

He explained to her about talents, and assured her that she was not in fact a freak for being his only exception. He told her about his family how they came together, that Emmett had been the last that Carlisle had changed. Feeling for the first time in his long existence comfort; they sat at a table in a student common area and talked all afternoon about everything and nothing of consequence.

He had felt his phone buzz seventeen times in his pocket and had heard hers buzz four, each ignoring them. Bella had skipped her third class of the day, after assuring him that she wouldn't miss anything in Calculus; he assured her that it was not any more trouble to stay with her. They were eventually interrupted by Angela and Alice. Angela invited both to a local outdoor concert and then left for class.

Alice tried to get close enough to speak with Bella, but Edward blocked her path. She decided she would play hard.

"Edward, you are needed at home right away," she stated loud enough for Bella.

"You have to leave?" Bella asked. His having to leave ruffled her feathers.

"Yes, my sister and I are needed at home," he answered as he glared at his sister. Alice tried once more.

"No, you are needed at home. I can stay with Bella if she wants company," she stated with a wide grin.

Two visions came to her- her sitting and chatting with Bella and her being dragged away with Edward.

Bella really wanted to talk to Alice, she seemed like she would have much more to say than Edward. She hoped she would answer her questions and not ignore whole subjects.

"I would, Bella, if you want me to stay. I would answer ALL of your questions," Alice exclaimed.

'As soon as she can get around me,' Bella remembered Edward saying. And Alice was trying to get around him.

"I have a paper due in a few days that I need to start on today. Rain check?" she asked.

You know she does not have a paper due. She is making excuses for you, Alice thought.

"Rain check. We will get together soon," she answered.

They said their goodbyes; Bella until class in two days, and Edward until he could get away that night.

Alice took Kate and Rosalie hunting with Esme that night, giving Edward an excuse not to lie. Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle thought he might join them for a game night, but he had a better idea. He had waited for Bella to fall asleep and then entered her home. He knew the alarm code from listening to the dial tones from before. He saw pictures of Bella and Charlie, pictures of whom he assumed were high school friends, and family members. There was also an old shot of pregnant Rosalie. Jealousy shot through him at a picture of her with a teenage boy in a loving embrace and making silly faces. Another picture showed them kissing. The monster wanted to hunt the boy down.

Did it go further than kissing, he wondered.

He saw her cell phone. He thought of getting her number, but he didn't want to steal it. He wanted to ask her for it and be given it. While he had been looking through her things, he noticed that she was not having the erotic dreams she usually had. Restless to the point of almost waking several times as he messed about through her things. He carefully, over carefully, went into her bedroom and sat on a love seat by her bed to watch her.

Sounding as though she was fighting in her sleep, he wanted to soothe her in any way he did not know anything about how to go about it without waking her. So he sat in her room and warred with himself again and again, for six hours.

Walk away, stay with Kate, happiness would come. She will be safer without you in her life. Kate adores you, Bella just wants answers. You can't give her a life. She would most likely want a physical relationship, you can't give her that. You would have to run for life, never meeting her family, making her lie to yours. She is a horrible liar. She wouldn't have to lie to anyone if you walked away.

"Edward."

He was jerked from his inner war with her plea and looked over to her to see her eyes open.

Chapter End Notes:

What do you think? I have been thinking of doing a teaser in between updates, would you rather have them on a website or have them sent to your email after you update? Let me know, per favore...


	8. Pleasure and action make the hours seem

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**Epic fail on my part for not getting this to you sooner. When I said a week, I meant a year, so you are getting this months sooner than planned. **

**ajasperforme cleaned this up for me, it was a mess and AngelGoddess1981 will do a number on it also...**

**Still not mine...**

_Last week on Give Thy Thoughts no Tongue: Bella's birth mother turned out to be a vampire and Edward and Bella are growing closer, but he refuses to tell her who her father is. And Bella's grandparents are over-bearing. And that is what you missed on last weeks episode._

"Project Make Bella Fall in Love and Kate Disappear" had been planned for three days by two very anxious vampires. Edward and Alice played with her visions for what was going to work and what would not; after three days they were exactly where they started-nowhere.

Though, they could get Kate to go away easily enough, Bella was another issue all together.

Gentleman Edward wanted to wait for sister Tanya to chow down, but barbarian Edward wanted to say fuck off and move her things out of his home. Alice had seen the gentleman winning.

Bella had been on cloud nine the days after her and Edward's afternoon talk. She desperately wanted to run into Edward on campus each day she attended, even though she knew she should not be trying to get close to him... Getting close to a vampire, one who knew entirely too much about her, was shaky and dangerous at best. Whose sister could see the future. Who for all intents and purposes had a girlfriend.

_A girlfriend he does not want_, she thought to herself.

"That doesn't mean he wants you dumbass," she exasperatedly stated to no one in particular. "I need a pet."

She was all kinds of confused. Maybe she really did just want answers. She had considered walking up to Rosalie and laying out all of her cards, but she intimidated the hell out of her just sitting in front of her for two months. No way was she going to walk up to her and actually speak to her.

She often wondered if she would still be fascinatingly interested in Edward if she got all the info she wanted on Rosalie and her father. Would he still dazzle her? She wanted more, but was she using him or pulling him towards her? Maybe both. Maybe neither.

Finals were upon them the next week and she needed to study-a lot; four classes and vampires had kicked her ass her first semester at college. Not to mention, Wendy and Mike; daily invitations to dinner and weekend trips being planned (and mostly avoided). She felt as though she had visited every attraction in East TN: museums, malls, zoos, antique shops, the errant flea market and garage sale. They had done it all. Evidently, Dollywood had put up Christmas lights for the season and Bella was invited to go. Thankfully, she had studying for finals to get out of the trip.

She was really very worried about the several weeks between semesters. Thoughts of going to stay with Charlie were trumped by thoughts of being without Edward.

"Stop acting like you are best friends; you had two days of conversation, not two years," she stated, again to no one.

Whitney had organized a study group for psychology students, and the group had somehow grown to twenty-six students. Bella had second thoughts on it.

"Are you going?" she asked Edward the day before their final.

"With twenty-six people I don't think much studying will get done; are you going?" He knew, and Alice knew, she would not be going.

"Probably not. I will probably just hang at the library or my place and study by myself."

"Well, if you need any help, I have taken this class at least eight times over the years," he offered. "I would be glad to help. Here is my number." He passed her a torn piece of paper and when she reached, their fingers touched. It was the first time they had touched since the van tried to kill them.

"Your hand is so cold."

"Room temperature actually."

"What?"

"I am more room temperature. My body holds the temperature of the climate I am in. It is about 68 degrees in here; so I am cool, but not cold."

"So if you were to sit in a sauna for a few minutes?"

"Toasty 108 degrees."

Edward had problems. Bella had texted him and asked him to come to the library and study with her; Kate had sent him a picture of herself in very revealing lingerie. They had not been intimate in over a month-not since Edward had began talking to Bella again. Having a physical relationship with Kate and emotional one with Bella was where he thought he was going.

"I am a cheating bastard. I am having an emotional affair," he chastised himself.

Alice could not see much of Bella's future, just her day-to-day decisions for the next week or so. It had yet to have him with her, with her knowledge.

"I am going to burn in hell."

"Edward, come up here, please," Carlisle quietly asked from his study.

Making his way up the stairs, he searched his thoughts for a clue of why he was going into his mentor's home office.

"You know Esme and I love having you here with us, but why are you here and not at home with Kate?"

Edward did not want to lie to him; he had never lied to him, never.

"It is complicated."

"Kate says that you are avoiding her."

"That is correct." He could hear the underlying tone of, _'you're not going to play this game with me' in Carlisle's thoughts._

"And you will not tell her what is bothering you."

"Correct."

"Son, I know when something is bothering you."

He wanted to tell Carlisle everything. Let him talk sense into him and put him on the right track. Alice only wanted to put him on Bella's path, but he wanted his own path.

It was rude and childish, but he wanted to look at his phone when a message beeped; it could have been from Bella or Kate. It was from Alice:

**_tell him, it might help_**

"I have always told you everything. I have let you know from the beginning that I was with Kate because I wanted a companion."

"Yes, has that changed?"

"No, my feelings for her are the same, and hers are the same. She wants more; she wants everything."

Carlisle was one of the few that did not push Edward towards a mate. He, himself, had waited over three hundred years to find his in Esme, and knew with Edward's nature he would not find who he wanted in a short amount of time. Edward had been companions with several female vampires over his eighty odd years and had a relationship with a young girl when he was still human. It was hard to find vampires who appreciated and followed their vegetarian lifestyle, but Edward had found about ten who had either been vegetarians or tried for the sake of being with him. Most who tried, failed, and Edward had had his fill of human blood and wanted nothing to do with the lifestyle. He still kept in contact with them, a letter every few years, no more than three a decade.

"Someone has come back into my life and there are feelings there that I do not understand."

"No one has said anything about other vampires in the area."

He did a scan making sure no one was in the house, and then explained Bella.

Edward did not spend a study night with Bella nor a scandalous naked night with Kate. After his therapy session with Carlisle, he ran the hundred or so miles to Grandfather Mountain. Laying on the swinging bridge on the highest peak of the Blue Ridge Mountains he cleared his mind of everything.

On a clear day, humans could see one hundred miles; that cloudy night at two am he could see what he approximated three hundred fifty miles. All he really wanted to see was the future.

For the first time in his long existence, he was scared of what would come next. He had been terrified when Carlisle changed him, thinking he was dying; he was prepared for physical pain. He was not prepared for the pain of being in love.

After he had told Carlisle everything, every thought and every want, his mentor told him he would support his choice in life-companion. Though, he would not support his cruelty and lies to Kate.

"Edward you know better than this. You are better than this. Disrespect is something I will not stand for, and I thought you stood for respect also. You are clearly disrespecting Kate by deceiving her and lying to her. You say Bella's reactions to you are flirtatious at times. Are you purposely doing things, things only you can do, to create these reactions? Or are they genuine reactions?"

Edward had noticed for months that Bella's heart rate would rise and her face would flush when she spotted him. And then there were the dreams she had. It was shameful and deeply disrespectful that he sat in her room and listened to her moan and groan his name. 

He told Kate that he needed some time to think about what he wanted. Assuring her that he still deeply cared for her, but he did not want to ruin her life by being indecisive. She had argued that they had been together for over a decade and everyone in their lives knew them as mates, not singles. He apologized and moved some of his things into his parents' home. He had not seen Kate since, but spoke to her often, not as often as he spoke to Bella.  
There were daily phone calls and several texts daily. The more he knew of Bella, the more he wanted-craved. He compared himself to the heroin addicts that dwell in the city, nothing mattered; nothing existed but Bella.

They had been on speaking terms for almost two months; he could divulge to himself that he was in love with Bella. He wanted to believe that she felt the same way, but he could not. Alice was blocking him and he could not hear Bella's thoughts. Every girl that crossed him turned beet red and had an accelerated heart.

"But not all would not run screaming."

That fact was his only hope.

Classes had been out for the semester for four weeks and they still saw each other several times a week. Several non-dates, as Bella told herself, had been enjoyed. She did not mind seeing everything in the region with Edward. The longest had been the drive to Myrtle Beach and back in one day to see a concert. 366 miles. It took Edward little more than three hours even after stopping twice for Bella. She tried not to look at the speedometer nor the landscape for very long.

Still not opening up on who her father was, Edward was completely open and honest about everything else in his life; he had moved out of his home, staying with his parents. His father was the doctor who Edward had initially told her was his brother. He had been 23 when he was changed in 1924, and his parents had died in a fire in their law practice. Edward would have died from smoke inhalation if not for Elizabeth Masen's begging of Carlisle with her last words to save him. Next was Esme, his mother for all intents and purposes. Alice and her husband, Jasper, showed up at the door one day in 1948 and never left.

Rosalie had been in a vehicle accident and to save Bella, a c-section had been performed on the side of the road. After pronouncing her dead at the hospital, she had been snuck out and changed. He had stayed with her for three days until Renee and Charlie received custody, he told her he had a connection to her then, but at the time chalked it up to her being the first and only baby he had help deliver.

"I felt very protective of you then and now."

The more he said, the more honest he became, and the more Bella fell.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**And we're off... Let me know what you think. A review will get a tease. Does the previously one help? Was C too harsh on E? And I promise next update will be in a lot less time than this one. Two weeks max...**


	9. Say as you think

Author's Chapter Notes:

Ha, less than two weeks between updates. Always thanks to ajasperforme, who should not have even paid attention to me on this week and angelgoddess1981 for getting this onto twilighted.

Not mine twihards, not mine…

Say as you think and speak it from your souls

"I've been dreaming of you, of you by my bed as I sleep, watching over me. Do you watch me as I sleep?" Bella had stunned Edward silent with her question. It was true, he did watch her. He had been watching her every night since he had moved out of his home.

Carlisle and Esme didn't question where he went at night. Carlisle thought he knew where he went, but didn't push the subject. Esme had smelled the same human on Edward several times, and had wanted to ask him about it, but Carlisle asked her not to bring it up.

Opening her eyes several times a night in her sleep, but never waking, Edward thought Bella didn't know he was there.

The first night he was there, she opened her eyes and stated his name. He thought he was caught, but everything about her said she was still sleeping deeply. Habits of talking, opening her eyes, tossing and turning and a couple times sitting up in her bed, made for interesting nights. Her blankets and sheets rarely stayed on, mostly ending up on the floor. He adored that Bella usually slept in a tank top and her underwear.

"I like to watch you sleep; it's fascinating to me," he said as they sat under a tree in the park. Another lunch date had gone longer than planned, neither wanting to be away from the other.

"How often do you watch me?"

"Every night for the last three weeks."

Her not being upset surprised them both. She thought he had been in her room; the chair beside her bed smelled of him.

"I know I talk in my sleep. Have you heard anything embarrassing?"

"You miss your father. You're less restless when it rains. You have arguments with your grandparents. You plead for me to stay with you." He laughed, remembering a night last week. "You told me to leave one night. You open your eyes often."

"The rain reminds me of Forks; it rains constantly there. Anything else?" she asked.

"If you get cold, I put your blanket back on you."

"I bet you love when I don't wear pajama bottoms," she teased.

If he could look ashamed, he would. She ate it up and giggled.

"Maybe I'll start sleeping in my birthday suit," she warned.

Edward beamed at her. He knew she was lying, but loved her smart mouth.

"I lock the doors. How do you get in?" she asked.

"My vampire skills," he stated.

"So you dazzle the door?"

"No, I give it my vampire glare until it pops open."

They had easy and quick banter between them, neither awkward with the other anymore. They spent most of their time together, or phoning, or texting or emailing.

"You are so stupid."

"Are you calling a scary monster stupid?" he hissed.

"Big scary monster, my ass! You're more like the cookie monster!" she teased, laughing loudly.

"You really should not have said that," he warned.

His stance changed from friendly to warning, but she continued to laugh at him. He looked through the minds of the few others in the park. No one was paying them any attention.

"What? Are you going to glare at me?" she taunted.

More rapid than she could see, Edward grabbed her, threw her across his shoulder and took off running through the woods as she screamed and slapped at his back. He ran faster than any rollercoaster she had ever been on, faster than she ever dared to drive, faster than he drove.

"Edward, I'm going to be sick! I'll throw up on you! Barf right down your pants!" she screamed, and he slapped her behind.

"Tell me I'm scarier than the cookie monster!" he demanded.

"I had a salad for lunch! It'll come out chunky!" she warned, but she could not keep the giggles from erupting.

"Say it, Bella!"

"You're about as scary as the _Monsters Inc_. characters! Now stop running with me or I swear I will barf!"

He stopped running and laid her down on the ground in a meadow, glaring at her.

"Tell me, or else," he bargained, leaning over her.

"Okay, Sulley."

A slow, wicked grin spread across his face.

"Aren't most humans ticklish in at least one place?"

"You wouldn't dare." Though her blush told him all he needed to know.

"Oh, I would if you don't tell me." Stubbornly, she shook her head no.

He lunged, moving his cool fingers quickly up her arm; her t-shirt left him unlimited contact.

She screamed and kicked and through the sounds of her own laughter, she could hear his. His other hand held her down in the grass. His fingers didn't bring the horrible tickling she'd known all her life. No, his fingers floated; a feeling that made her chuckle and wriggle. Then he sped up.

She rolled, and kicked and laughed until suddenly he was on top of her.

And then the world stopped.

Both breathing like they had run the New York marathon, they stared at each other, wanting the other to make the first move.

"You just broke up with a girlfriend of ten years," she noted.

"You are my niece in a strange, twisted way," he pointed out.

"How Voltaire of you," she uttered.

He was glad it wasn't awkward between them; she could still quip smart ass comments.

"Kiss me, Edward," she urged.

"Do you understand what you mean to me?" he asked so softly she didn't hear him, but before he could hesitate he was kissing her. This was no _'I want to remain friends'_ sweetkiss, this was a fireworks and singing harpists and life-altering kiss. A _'let me keep you forever'_ kiss. A _'forget everything else and kiss me'_ kiss.

"Your heart is beating so fast," he whispered.

"You have a shit-eating grin on your face." She smiled. "Is this going to change things?"

"I think so." He nodded. "Can I kiss you again?"

"If that was just a 'first kiss' kiss and not a 'how I _really_ kiss' kiss, then yes, I want more," she requested.

"Good," he said, planting another kiss on her lips. "As long as you're not afraid, I am more than happy to oblige."

"Keep kissing me, please."

They had been kissing for what seemed like hours, right up until Bella yawned into Edward's mouth and they reluctantly untangled themselves from one another.

"We should get back. We are about 20 miles into the forest from the park."

"Are you going to spend the night with me?" she asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"Please," she stated.

"Yes, Madam," he moaned then looked pensive. "We have things that need to be discussed."

"Make yourself at home," she said as she got herself a bottle of water. She joined him on the couch; and for the first time in a long time, things were awkward between them. They had been in a comfortable silence after leaving the meadow. Bella had been able to enjoy the piggyback ride back to the park to collect Edward's vehicle.

"So," she muttered.

"So, there are things we need to discuss; like where do we go from here?"

"Why does Rosalie not recognize me?" she asked, not ready to have his conversation.

"It's complicated," he stalled. "It's difficult for her to get close to humans, and you are foremost a human. She has never really paid you any attention."

Rosalie had never given Bella a second look because of what she was, not who she was. She felt heartbroken and relieved at the same time.

"How about a game?" she asked.

"A game?"

"Twenty-one questions, no explanations needed; just answer or pass," Bella explained to Edward. "And be completely honest."

"You first," he offered with a smile.

"Besides my fascinating sleep talk and half nude state, why do you watch me sleep?"

_Because I'm in love with you and it hurts to be away from you,_he thought.

"I'm nervous being away from you," he replied. "You've mentioned a boyfriend. Was there only one?"

"No," she said. "How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Fifteen," he answered. "How many relationships have you had?"

_Fifteen!_ she screamed within. Edward saw her eyes slightly widen.

"Three," she quipped. "Were all fifteen sexual relationships?"

"No," he said. "Were yours?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know. He wanted to believe she was a virgin and he was her first kiss, but he knew better.

"Yes," she said. "If I said I didn't want to be your friend anymore, would you resume your relationship with Kate?"

Kate would be going back to Alaska anytime, Tanya needed to chow down.

"I think the relationship with Kate has run its course," he said. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

"Younger than I should have been," she quipped. "Why did you kiss me?"

"I wanted to. Why did you kiss me?"

"I had to. How long have your parents been together?"

"Vampires mate for life. Why do you want to know that?"

"Please don't use the word 'mate' around me. For life?"

"You didn't answer my question," he reminded. "Why do you want to know?"

"No explanations, remember. They stay together for eternity?"

"For forever; nothing can break the bond of vampires," he assured her. "Is that not an explanation?"

"No it's clarification. You have obviously never bonded; have you?"

"Pass," he whispered. "Have you ever been in love?"

"Well, I..."

Edward's phone interrupted her answer.

"Hello, Alice," he answered.

Not being able to hear the other side of the conversation, Bella went for another bottle of water.

"I'll be right there," he said into the phone. "I have to leave, and I probably won't be able to come back tonight." He had come into the kitchen with her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing for you to worry about," he said as he kissed her hair. "Goodbye, Bella."

"Bye, Sulley."

Chapter End Notes:

Come on people, I get the emails that you have added the story to your favorites or alerts, give me a review, please. Good, bad, or whatever. If you do, you will get a teaser and a smart ass response from yours truly. What do you think is going on at casa Cullen? What do you think of B and E not being virginal?

stigmame on twitter…


	10. of imagination all compact

AJasperForMe is due a lot of gratitude for putting up with my demolish-tation of the English language, a trooper that one. And angelgoddess1981 does a swell job of getting this to you in record time.

Not mine people, not mine…

* * *

**The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact**

"Are you out of your fucking mind, Edward?"

"What do you mean she already knew you were a vampire?"

When Alice had called Edward, he thought Tanya had finally sunk her teeth into man flesh, which had not happened.

Rosalie had come to visit Esme and smelled Bella on Edward's laundry. She told Esme who Bella was as Carlisle tried to calm her. A family meeting was called, everyone arrived except Edward, and the situation was discussed. Alice was pressured for information, but she held her tongue; neither did Carlisle say anything he knew. Carlisle didn't say anything he knew either. When Edward arrived the screaming began.

What does she know? How long has she known? Whom has she told?

Endless questions were fired at Edward until he broke down and told them.

"I am in love with Isabella Swan," he announced.

The statement had silenced everyone but Kate, who sobbed and ran from the home.

"I think we should sit and hear Edward's side of things." Esme was the first to speak; she was beaming. She had heard from Edward he cared about past females. He had loved them and he adored them, but he was never in love with any of them.

_Finally_, she thought.

Everyone sat and listened as Edward explained who Bella was and how they had been spending copious amounts of time with each other. He had finally found his mate. His mate that hated the word mate; monkeys copulating in the jungle flashed through his mind. He told the entire story excluding her parentage. He told them how the Quileute's had drawn a picture of the three vampires in the 1920's and how Bella had heard all of the legends from her friends on the reservation.

"She knew days after seeing Rosalie and I in class; I filled in the blanks."

"Kate is packing her things; she's leaving for Alaska tonight," Alice stated as she sang Maneater perpetually, blocking nosy telepaths.

_Oh, here she comes  
Watch out boy she'll chew you up  
Oh, here she comes  
She's a maneater  
Oh, here she comes  
Watch out boy she'll chew you up  
Oh, here she comes  
She's a maneater_

Glaring at her did nothing to sway her singing.

"Are you going to do anything about Kate?"

"There is nothing more for me to say to her," Edward said. "I ended things months ago. She has been hanging onto nothing."

"Classic Edward," Rosalie sneered.

"That is what has been going on?" Emmett laughed out, always the one to see the humor in things.

"How long will we have to put up with this one?" Rosalie asked. "Or before you kill her?"

_If you only knew_, Edward and Alice thought.

"He won't kill her; he won't hurt her. No one will hurt her," she demanded.

"What do you see exactly?" Jasper asked.

"No one will hurt her, that is what I fucking see," she snarled immediately, ceasing his lack of confidence in the situation.

Esme had been silent, overcooked with happiness. After the first few decades didn't go so well, she had been hopeful Edward would find his mate before long. Carlisle was the picture of confidence; confidence Edward didn't think he deserved.

He looked towards Esme, giving her a crooked grin.

"And when we have to leave in a few years?" Rosalie asked.

"I am staying with the girl," Edward whispered. "I won't… I can't leave her."

Everyone slowly dispersed through the house, leaving Edward and Alice to themselves.

_I thought Carlisle knew everything_, Alice thought.

Edward shook his head.

_He doesn't know the Rosalie connection_?

Edward shook his head again.

"Is there a reason you were singing that song?" he asked.

"It's going to be alright; it will work out eventually," she amended and walked away to join Rosalie and Esme in the kitchen. Where they were on the cusp of arguing about Bella. Edward listened to the three speak, Rosalie's self-righteous disgust, Esme's joy, and Alice's confidence. He needed to leave and get away from it all; he had not fed in over a week.

"Going hunting. Anyone want to join me?" he asked.

"I'm in," Emmett said.

"I'll come," Jasper stated.

Carlisle cornered Edward before he could join his siblings.

_You're still hiding something_. Even though it was a statement, it sounded more like an accusation.

"It's not time for some things to come to the surface."

"Are you going to speak with Kate?"

"I'll let her cool down for a day or so, then call her."

"I'm counting on you to make this right," he said.

Bella is everything that is right for me, he thought.

"You've given Dumb and Dumber a head start in the race; I need to catch up. I can't let them beat me." He was out of the house before Carlisle could get the attention of the girls. He didn't need Rosalie asking questions about what he was hiding. She would stalk him for decades. He was sure of it.

Easily catching up to his make-shift siblings, they ran deep into the Appalachian mountain range to find carnivores to fill them for a few days. Emmett was the first to break the silence.

"So, you're trying out humans; vampires not your thing anymore?" he joked. "When will we get to meet her?" Edward ignored him for the most part, but he couldn't push away the thoughts that Bella might never get to meet his family. Would they recognize the resemblance between her and Rosalie? Could she say the lies over and over until she could lie better? Lie well enough to convince vampires? She couldn't control her body's reactions any more than they could control the weather. It would be a disaster to introduce them.

But Alice already adored her, and Esme would adore her also. By the next day Esme would be asking to meet her; have her over for an evening. She always wanted to meet his current courtships as soon as possible. Always having respect for his goings on, and always seeing he wasn't as happy as she and Carlisle. No one was ever good for her first adopted son.

_Bella is good enough_, he thought.

After their hunt, Jasper and Emmett returned home, and Edward ran to Bella. He flew through the forest towards her pool house. When he arrived minutes later, he could hear her sobs and grumbles. He knocked on the door, and let himself in to get to her.

"I think you've done enough. You can leave," she said through sobs.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Edward?"

Walking into her bedroom, he found her with tears streaming down her face and a suitcase on the bed.

* * *

End Notes

So, a filler chapter, but next chapter lots of things happen. Did you like the video teaser? Did you get the trailer? I didn't think ffnet would cut a web address in PM's, but evidently they do. You guys are awesome with the reviews, thank you much. Next chapter teaser will be text from the chapter. Review and you'll get it. You can follow me on twitter stigmame. I've rambled enough...

Question: Is Alice singing that song about a certain someone?

P.S. I've gotten a couple of reviews where people are confused, any questions about what you've read so far?


	11. Overflow of good

AJasperForMe does me good, don't you know; Angelgoddess1981 does you good...

Shout out to Moodyval for doing a rec on adifferentforest, awesome possum...

You are getting this early since I will be at the beach next week, where hopefully I will put pen and paper together for you guys while lounging on the beach. Double the words of last chapter.

Not mine people, not mine...

* * *

_An overflow of good converts to bad._

After Edward had left, Bella could think clearly but couldn't sleep. She had made a plan for going through college; only casual relationships and flings. She could think of something serious afterwards. Her focus would be getting a degree; then getting a job in journalism, hopefully as a literary critic. Romance could come afterward. Edward had just ended a ten year relationship; maybe he would not want anything serious. Maybe that kiss had been a one time deal. Maybe what he wanted to discuss is how he wanted something casual; she could do casual. She couldn't do serious; she saw what happened with Charlie and Renee marrying young. Charlie had pounded into her to not get married until at least thirty and to focus on her career first.

_Edward gets me. He'll understand; she thought. Why would he want to be in a serious 'thing' when he just broke up with Kate?_

But Bella wanted Edward in her life also. She enjoyed their friendship; she enjoyed their secrets, and she didn't want to lose him.

"Edward!" she cried out.

She was being forced across the bed with the power of his thrusts. He was driving into her with unwavering might; giving her precisely what she could take and then just pushing her past the rim.

"Come on, Bella," someone whispered.

"Oh, God," she panted.

"Wake up."

"No, leave me alone," she answered; then jumped, realizing no one should be in her pool house.

Standing next to her bed was a furious looking Wendy.

"Holy shit," she cried.

She was breathing profoundly as she thrashed about to sit up.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you waking me up?"

It was still dark outside. She looked at her clock. It was just after six in the morning.

"It's time for you to be up for the day, Bella." Wendy said. "Did you plan to sleep all day?"

"I planned to sleep until at least nine," she said, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"I bought you a ticket to a cooking show at Freedom Hall, it starts at eight," she said. "You need to be ready to leave by seven thirty."

Her words were the first Bella had heard of any cooking show, and she didn't want to go.

"Grandma, I haven't slept well; I don't feel up to a show today."

"Oh don't worry, Sweetie. Some breakfast and caffeine and you'll be good to go," she replied. "Up you get; be over at the house for pancakes."

Telling plans to Bella at least a week in advance gave her ample time to come up with an excuse most of the time.

_She's getting smarter_, Bella thought.

"No, Grandma. I'm not going. I'm going to sleep for a few more hours at least, and then lay around the house all day," she said. "I'm not even getting out of my pajamas today."

Bella saw anger or rage or _conniption fit_ flash across the face of her alarm clock. But she refused to back down, refused to be taken advantage of again.

"Now you listen here, Young Lady. I allow you to live here rent free. I pay for your tuition. And I paid for these tickets. You are going, and you will show more respect in the future," she barked.

"Excuse me? You offered to pay for my tuition and wanted me to move here for convenience. I don't owe you for either of those things. You've dragged me all over creation for months, and I will not be told I will be doing something," Bella choked out.

"Don't sass me, Bella," Wendy argued.

"I've never been anything but completely respectful to you and will continue to be respectful. But I will not be pushed around."

"Is this hostility coming from that boy I've seen coming in and out of here at all times of the day? Just because you have access to my pool house does not mean you can whore yourself out," Wendy assumed.

Bella saw red when she implied she was a _whore_. Unfortunately between the lack of sleep and anger, she couldn't control her reaction. The wet dream didn't help any.

"It is none of your business who I fuck, but I've never had sex with that boy," Bella pointed out as she scrambled out of bed, still only in a tank top and underwear. "And he can come and go as he pleases as long as I am here with him"

"This is my home, Bella. You are a guest, and I do not want him here," she hissed. "And you need to wear pajamas to bed." She picked up her sweat pants lying on a chair.

"A guest?" Bella paused stunned her Grandma would say that to her. "That is what you think of me?"

She liked to think this was her home also.

_Charlie was right; it's too much_, she thought. _She'll never quit._

"When you act like a promiscuous hussy, you don't have the right to call this your home. If you can show you are mature enough to act like a lady, then you will be treated as such," she related and handed her the sweat pants.

She looked up to her grandmother like she had two heads.

"Are you drunk?" Bella asked. Deadpanning had always been a talent of hers.

"Young lady, nothing passes my lip that is impure," she related. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"You should listen to yourself," Bella retorted. "Are you high?"

Wendy's anger got the best of her. She raised her hand and smacked her right across the face as hard as she could.

Bella gasped as tears sprang to her eyes.

"You will be more respectful, Isabella Marie," she insisted. "I don't want to see you until you can act like a respectful young lady." With that, she left Bella standing inconceivably physically and emotionally hurt.

Bella immediately called Charlie, waking him up. She was so upset, she forgot it would be 3:30 AM there.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Charlie had sleep and panic in his voice.

"Dad, I can't explain right now, but I need you to put money in my account. I need to pay rent and my tuition," she indicated.

"Hold on a second, Bell," he grunted. "Why do you need money for those things?"

"I'm moving out of Wendy and Mike's. I've had enough."

"What happened?" he asked. "Are you crying? Bella, what is going on? Do I need to come out there?"

"I'll call you later. I need to pack. Just please put more money into my account."

"I will in a few hours when the bank opens; I expect a phone call by ten."

"I will," she promised. "Bye, Dad."

She took out the large totes she and Charlie used for her belongings when they had driven cross country, and started packing.

About thirty minutes later, she heard a knock on the door and the sound of it opening.

"I think you've done enough; you can leave," she said through sobs.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked.

"Edward?"

"What happened?" he asked alarmed when he saw the red mark on her face.

"

Can I tell you later?" she asked. "Can you help me pack?"

"You're moving?"

"I'm going to stay in a hotel until I can find an apartment."

"You can stay with me. If you want," he stated. "I have plenty of room; Kate has moved out."

"I'm not staying where you used to live with your ex." She shuddered. "I would see you and her fucking on every surface I looked at."

"I'm still staying with Carlisle and Esme; you would be more than welcome to stay."

"I'll be fine at a hotel for a few days."

"Please, Bella. I'd feel better if you weren't in a hotel," he pleaded.

_Too fast, too fast, too fast,_ she screamed to herself.

"No, Edward. I'll feel more comfortable at a hotel."

Sighing, he packed everything that was hers in a matter of minutes.

"Do you have a truck?" she asked. "All of this won't fit in my car, and I want out of here as soon as possible."

Edward ran to his parent's home to borrow Carlisle's SUV.

"Something has happened with Bella; her grandmother is belligerent with anger."

He explained how Bella was moving today and asked if she could stay there if he could convince her to do so.

"Of course, Dear," Esme stated. "She is always welcome."

"Why do you not know everything from her thoughts?" Carlisle asked.

He knew Edward could not hear Bella's thoughts, but the words of her grandmother should've been flowing like a river and crystal clear for Edward's vampire hearing.

"All I heard was how disrespectful and promiscuous Bella has been," he said. "Neither is true."

"I'll get one of the guest rooms ready for her," she said. "Convince her."

Edward smirked at his mother's tenacity; nothing was going to stop her from meeting Bella that day.

"Esme wants you to stay with us," Edward explained to Bella. "She won't take no for an answer."

Bella didn't want to have another argument that morning. She didn't want to hurt Edwards's feelings.

_Next thing will be a betrothal_, she thought.

"Just for a few days," she agreed. "Just until I can find an apartment; two weeks max."

He nodded his head as they loaded her things into the cars.

"How about breakfast before we go," he requested. "IHOP?"

"Sure, I'll meet you there."

Sitting in the restaurant, Edward explained to Bella how his family did not know her parentage, and she needed to lie for the time being.

"When is Charlie's birthday?" he asked. "And what is your childhood best friend's mother's name?"

"December twelfth," she answered. "Pamela."

"If they ask, your birthday is December twelfth. You're not adopted and your mother, Pamela, left when you were a child."

"I can live with that," she assured.

"I'm sorry, but there is no other way right now," he stated.

"I am a horrible liar, Edward," she confessed what he already knew. "They'll see right through me."

"I hope they just think of it as nervousness or the reaction to our alienisms."

"Is this a good idea?"

"It's better than you staying in a hotel with strangers," he exclaimed. "All kinds of things could happen. Things I can't control."

"Hotels are better now than they were in the seventeen hundreds; you get your own room with a lock on it now," she quipped. "And if you can get into a locked pool house, you should have no problem with a hotel door."

Glaring at her he said, "No hotels."

She rolled her eyes, "And what am I going to say to Charlie if he comes like he is threatening?"

She had called him while Edward went for the SUV, explaining this morning's happenings. He had been furious and said he was coming to her.

"I will deal with him if he comes," he assured her.

She howled before she could think, "You're not going to eat my father."

The people sitting around her looked at them.

"We need to leave now," he said.

Walking outside, he assured her he meant with words not teeth.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you?" he inquired shaking his head.

The thought had come across his mind when Bella had explained the angry red mark on her face. Revenge seeped through his veins and he had to stop himself from leaving her side.

She followed him to his family's home, not knowing what to expect.

Coffins? Dungeons? Moats? Dead animal carcasses hanging on the walls?

"You don't have human slaves, do you?" she asked once they had stopped in front of a large white house.

"Just one."

* * *

Your reviews keep me alive, literally, I cash them in for food and water. So, I owe you guys. I have a southern grandmother and she is a handful, not like Wendy, but you know.

Is Bella going to be able to lie convincingly or will everything fall down around her and Edward? And what is Rosalie going to say about her moving in?

Leave me a review and I'll send you a snarky comment and a teaser...


	12. I'll not budge an inch

Chapter Notes:

Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean the world to me and I wake in the middle of the night when this posts to read them when my phone alerts me. Every single one, I wake and read it. As always, ajasperforme and angelgoddess1981 does this story good...

Not mine people, not mine...

* * *

**I'll not budge an inch**

They left Bella's things in the cars so she could officially meet Carlisle and Esme. She was nervous of what they would think of her and Edward.

Were they thinking she was using him? Were they thinking she and he were a couple, more than friends? Were they expecting them to be the dreaded mates?

Keeping pace with her as they walked to the front door, Edward noticed her fidgeting with her clothing and her hair. She knew she looked horrible between the slap and crying, but she had barely broken a sweat packing. Only packing her private things; it amounted to Jim, her personal massager as it was called, her bathroom items, and her depressing collection of two porn DVDs.

Jim had been a gift from her second boyfriend's mom. They had been seventeen at the time, and she didn't want grandbabies. In her mind, she was thwarting sexual activity by giving Bella a vibrator and Embry a Flesh Light. She would never forget the only time she was drunk enough to play with both Embry and Jim.

_Embry and I had fun; nothing serious, which is what I need with Edward._

His parents were waiting for Bella and Edward in the family room. Anxiously, Bella rambled off titles from the romantic tales of the 19th century she read.

"Dr. Cullen...Sir...His Grace...My liege."

Three vampires laughed silently at her tense stroll, but brilliantly beamed at her.

"Carlisle and Esme will work just fine," he stated, smiling broadly at her as she started speaking fast once again.

"Right, Carlisle and Esme. I am very grateful to you for inviting me into your home for a few days. I appreciate it and won't bother you in the slightest. I can pay rent-room and board. I'm super clean when I need to be; I won't be messy. And I'll purchase my own food, 'cause..." She stopped abruptly.

Carlisle arched his eyebrow.

"Because, you know..." She glanced around nervously, and then whispered, "You don't eat what I eat."

She looked down embarrassed at her jumpy inept try at 'hello'.

"Nonsense Bella, you and I will go shopping later and get what you need," Esme stated proudly. "You and I will get to spend some time together."

Bella's eyes widened and her palms began to sweat at Esme's plan.

"That is not really necessary; I eat like a horse or a blue whale," she laughed. "Blue whales can eat up to four tons a day."

"Something you and Edward have in common," Carlisle joked, trying to ease her.

"Come on, Bella. I will show you to your room," Edward said, much to her delight.

"Okay, I will see you soon," she said.

After they were on the second floor of the home, Bella calmed a little.

"Well, that only showed how mildly chemically imbalanced and fanatical I am," she said. "They probably think you have brought home a hood rat."

"They actually think you are charming," he said. "And how you are not as nervous away from them."

"They can hear us?" she asked hastily, and he nodded. "Is there any where in the house they can't hear?"

"No. I can hear you whisper from over a mile away," he informed her.

She stopped in her tracks and got lost in her wet dream from the previous night.

_I constantly talk in my sleep. This is going to be so embarrassing_, she thought.

"Who else lives here?" she asked.

"No one. It will be just the four of us. My siblings live a few miles away. You will see them on a regular basis; maybe tomorrow."

"You have four siblings?" she asked.

He nodded, confused; she knew this.

The next few hours were spent unpacking her things she would need and storing the rest. Edward gave the grand tour; she was impressed by how homey and human it looked. After several hours with just him, she had calmed enough to joke around with him again.

"I'm impressed. I had been expecting dungeons, coffins and moats; instead of coffee tables, beds and gardens."

"The dungeon is in the basement, and you're not allowed in it," he joked.

"This human is hungry. I'm going to run to get something; do you want to come with me?"

Bella was ready to settle into bed when Edward knocked on her bedroom door and walked in.

"If you had given me a few minutes, you could have snuck in like always," she quipped.

"My parents went hunting for the night, and I'm lonely. Can we talk?" he asked.

"I don't know any bedtime stories appropriate for a vampire."

"Count Von Count usually works," he stated. "I actually wanted to talk about that kiss."

"Oh," she whispered. "That kiss..."

_Here it comes_, she thought.

"Edward I think you should know, I don't want anything serious with you," she said as he desperately tried to come up with a way to keep her forever.

"What do you want?" he gently asked.

"I have thought about it, and I want a casual relationship," she replied. "I think I am too young for Romeo and Juliet." She continued before he could reply. "And you just ended a decade-long relationship; I can't handle a decade right now."

"Casual," he enunciated, trying the word out.

_Please, please, please_, she chanted to herself.

"Are you asking me to be a bed buddy with you?" he asked.

"There will be more to it, to us, than fuck buddies," she indicated, adding, "you are much more than that."

That statement gave him hope for the future; a future that held nothing but dread in it at that point.

Something needed to be made clear with her.

"I don't know if I can have a sexual relationship with you; it might be too dangerous," he stated, hoping to not hurt Bella's feelings; hoping she would understand.

"You said Kate and her harlot sisters have sex with humans," she insisted.

_What the hell!_ she exclaimed.

"They have had centuries to perfect their craft," he said. "They killed dozens of human men until they knew how to handle them. You can Google mass death in Russia in the 1300's."

His explanation did nothing to calm her.

"Didn't you pick up some tips when you lived with them?" she asked accusingly. "Like, 'Don't thrust too hard or you'll kill the human?'"

"I never paid attention to them; I never thought I would have sex with a human."

"Can't bring yourself to try it with a lower being," she said, becoming increasingly angrier with him.

_Does she just want to use me as her sex slave_, he thought.

"It can't happen any time soon; I have some things to do first," he stated.

"Is there a book? _"How Not to Kill a Human You Are Fucking,"_ brought to you by the authors of Vampa Sukra," she said.

"Goodnight, Bella," he said, not wanting to argue with her.

He walked out of the room, and she babbled to herself.

"Why are so concerned about my safety?" she asked the wall. "It's not like your family knows who I am and will never forgive you if I am not around."

"They know I'm in love with you," he confessed to the other side of the wall.

The next morning, Bella was fixing breakfast before school when Edward came through the back door.

"My siblings are coming over today for family night; you're invited," he said.

"Is that a good idea, Rosalie and me in a room together?" she asked. "All your family and Rosalie and me in a room, what if someone questions the way we look kind of alike?"

"It will be okay. I doubt if Rose will stay once she sees you here," he said.

"Great, it's not sufficient I'm a squatter in your house, now I am forcing people out of their homes," she blustered. He tried to interrupt her, but she was not to be stopped.

"It's not enough I have been bitch slapped, run from my home, moved in with vampires, and have a mother who doesn't like me," she complained.

"You're not here unwelcome or illegally," he explained, and then pointed out, "Don't put yourself on a pedestal, Rosalie doesn't like anyone.

"When are we going to tell her?" she asked. "And even if she is not here, they know what she looks like."

"I will tell her when Alice sees she won't invoke the spirit of Lorena Bobbitt," he revealed.

"Doesn't the person have to be dead to invoke their spirit?" she giggled.

"Go to class," he ordered.

Chapter End Notes:

Is everyone getting the teasers I am sending out when you review? Let me know if you don't...

So, Rosalie is coming over, what do you think her reaction to B moving in is going to be? And B will finally meet Emmett and Jasper... Review and I will send a teaser...


	13. Such as we are made of, such we be

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

Hello, readers. I know I told, someone, this would be 3000 words, but it isn't. The good news is the next chapter is ready to go, so as soon as you are reading this I will post the next chapter for validation. ajasperforme does a grammar idiot (me) and reader a like good.

Thank you for the reviews, feedback, email to get my ass working and all together awesomeness...

Not mine people, not mine.

* * *

**Such we are made of, such we be**

Two extra vehicles were parked in the Cullen's driveway when Bella returned from school. Taking her time gathering her bag, she trudged to the house.

"Edward says he and you have plans this weekend, but I would like you to hang out with me," Alice said to a flustered Bella as she opened the front door. "He has been hogging you for months."

"We have plans this weekend?" she asked him, bewildered.

"No, you don't. He is trying to stop you from being with me," Alice interrupted, glowering at him. "Don't deny it."

"Alice, I think she can make up her own mind. Are you going to let her come in or make her stand in the doorway?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You get to meet Emmett and Jasper!" she squealed, leading her into the family room and paying no attention to her frightful eyes and trepidation.

Edward noticed it and promptly stepped in front of Alice to stop the showcase.

"Perhaps you should let her take her things to her room and settle in before giving her to Emmett?" he suggested.

"Giving me?" she asked, frightened as she heard a loud booming laugh from somewhere in the house.

"Eddie, I want to meet your girlfriend," Emmett bellowed.

Bella tensed at Emmett's proclamation and felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She wasn't Edwards's girlfriend; they were friends with secrets. On the cusp of becoming friends with benefits and secrets; she hoped.

"Um, I need to pee," she stuttered, quickly moving from the room, away from any undead creatures.

Sitting on the toilet, she calmed herself of her panic.

_It's just meeting family members, not being presented to them. And I'm certainly not going to be given to one, am I_? she contemplated while relieving her bladder.

Bella stayed in her room for almost an hour; dallying and putting off meeting The Addams Family.

As she entered the kitchen, where Esme seemed to be cooking lasagna, she took note of Emmett and who she guessed was Jasper.

_They're creepy and they're kooky,  
Mysterious and spooky,  
They're altogether ooky,  
The Addams Family._

She sang to herself.

Everyone turned to watch her as Alice introduced everyone.

Rosalie ignored everyone. She wouldn't acknowledge anyone in the room even when spoken to directly. She sat and seethed. She and Emmett had only learned Bella had moved in that afternoon. A heated argument with Edward and Alice went on for hours before Esme told all three to stop arguing when she heard Bella's car turn down the driveway.

"Stop arguing right now," she demanded. "She is a guest here for as long as needed; you will show respect."

Rosalie huffed and did not speak another word for most of the night.

As Emmett interrogated Bella about anything and everything, Jasper could feel her mendacity and anguish from some of the more basic questions she had been asked.

He wanted to know about her childhood, high school, what her parents were like, what pizza tasted like. Esme was just as rambunctiously curious. What is your favorite food, what is your favorite movie? What do you want to do with your degree?

She recited the tale Edward had practiced with her.

Her mother, Pamela, left when she was a mere toddler. She just turned nineteen a month ago.

"When is your birthday?" he asked.

"December twelfth 1991," she fretfully lied- unconvincingly.

"Edward said you were 19 when you met, not just turned 19?" he pushed. "What did he get you for your birthday?"

"A gift card for a book store," she stated. She fibbed; a friend had given her one for her nineteenth birthday in September.

After several lies Jasper wanted to speak up, but Edward shook his head in his direction to stop him.

That didn't stop Emmett.

"I think you are lying," Emmett leered and demanded, "Let me see your driver's license."

"Emmett!" four voices rang out.

"What?" he laughed. "It's obvious she is not being completely truthful. Jasper?"

"Bella, why don't you tell us why you chose ETSU for school?" Alice interrupted the interrogation, glaring daggers at Emmett and Jasper. "Why so far from home in Washington?"

"Um..." she started. "My grandparents offered to pay for my schooling and wanted me to spend more time closer to them."

Rosalie broke her silence at her admission.

"We can take that with a bushel of salt. Great grandparents if you have to run away at, what was it- nineteen years old."

"Some people are not who you think they are," Bella stated. "Some people hide everything about themselves."

"Like you noticeably are," she replied icily. "What are you hiding Bella Swan? Born on December 12, 1991? Your mother, Pamela, left when you were a child, but you are still in close contact with her parents? But you never see her? You are lying about everything."

"Rosalie that is enough," hissed Edward.

"You're so in love with her Edward, with a liar? She needs to be truthful."

Edward is in love me? Her stomach sank at the broadcasted revelation.

"We need to leave," Jasper said to Alice and Emmett.

"We will leave when Edward and Bella become truthful," Rosalie demanded.

Edward lurched at Rosalie and screamed.

"You can't handle the truth."

After Edward gave his best Jack Nicholson impression to Rosalie, Carlisle stepped in asking everyone to go home, and requested Nathan R. Jessep in his office.

"Do I need to be concerned about Bella's manipulation of the facts about herself?"

"Rosalie is a lie detector now?" Edward smiled, avoiding the question.

"Edward, you have been hiding something for months, and Bella is being a bit coy and not entirely forthcoming," he stated.

"I have never lied to you," Edward stated.

"'You can't handle the truth,'" he reminded.

"I will not lie to you," Edward stated. "But I can't tell you this yet."

"I trust you know what you are doing, son." he said. "Will you tell me why you can't tell me?"

"Foot bindings included breaking all of the bones in the foot and wrapping it tightly together," Edward answered.

"Vague and facetious," he inquired.

"A bone, once broken, will often heal with additional strength than it had before," he added as they heard Bella starting her vehicle and leaving the property.

"If you love somebody, let them go," Carlisle grinned at Edward's lost look.

Texting and making plans to meet up with Angela at her apartment, she only had one question.

**Do you have issues with me drinking at your place?**

After Rosalie's declaration of Edward's affections, Bella decided to engage in underage drinking to throw away her mixed up feelings toward Eddie Munster.

"Edward loves me," Bella drunkenly sputtered to no one unparticular.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Angela asked.

"It's not Teen Mom 'I love you'; it is Jane Austen 'I love you, most ardently'."

"Both of you are way too young for something like that," she argued.

"Precisely!" Bella bellowed. "He's a debutant from the 1950's."

"Is he a virgin?" Jessica, Angela's roommate, asked.

"Not for a long time," Bella giggled. "He has had a dozen girlfriends."

At two in the morning, Bella's phone chirped with a text message from Edward.

**Are you coming home tonight? Are you safe?**

By then Bella was belligerent and frisky.

**Ask Cleo**

Within moments her phone rang with his ringtone.

"Sulley!" she boasted. "How is my gentleman caller?"

"Are you drunk?" he asked. "Where are you? Do you need a ride home?"

"Too many questions for Jane," she hiccupped as he demanded information.

"Who are you with?"

"Bearcat and Sheba," she taunted.

"Just promise you are being safe, and I'll see you later," he insisted.

"You're goofy on me?" she mumbled.

"And you have learned slang from early 1900's," he noted. "When do you think you will be here tomorrow?"

"_They're creepy and they're kooky_," she sang horribly off-key.

"Are you singing?" he asked.

"_Mysterious and spooky_," she ended in a pitch only dogs could hear.

"You need..." before he could continue, he heard violent retching and gagging.

After several minutes, Edward heard a sound fill his ears from the handset of the phone-

_Beep-beep-beep beeep-beep-beep beeeeep-beep-beep. _

He growled when he realized she was dialing him again; too drunk to realize he was still on the line."

"Bella?" he asked.

"Edward," she slurred. "Can you come pick me up at Angela's?"

"I'll be right there," he assured her.

Around five AM, Bella had finally stopped hurling enough to lie down.

"What time is your first class?" he asked.

"Prob and Stats at eleven," she moaned. "I'm going to suck at it; I'll fail for sure."

"I won't let you fail," he vowed.

"'Cause you can't let the rest of the family know you love a dumb ass," she retorted.

"You are not a dumb ass; Emmett failed the first time he took the class," he bragged. "I will wake you at ten."

Fighting to keep her eyes open, Bella muttered, "Don't hate me if I can't love you back."

**Chapter End Notes**:

Question, Rosalie has a sister in this story, she is mentioned in prologue; she needs a name. I have a few swirling, but nothing is fitting. Ideas?

Let me know what you think of the chapter and I'll send a teaser...

Oh, my snarky mouth and I are on Twitter, come join us/me stigmame


	14. To do a right, do a little wrong

Nothing and everything happens here, some questions cleared. Huge, mammoth, colossal thank you and kudos to ajasperforme for her hard, distracting work she does on this for you and me. My wayward commas and 'that's are preposterous.

Sister is coming next chapter; just as this, she isn't mine.

* * *

To do a great right, do a little wrong

Apartment hunting with an overprotective vampire had not been the easiest thing Bella had ever done. Holding onto the ads she had printed off and made appointments to tour, she reluctantly allowed Edward to accompany her. Already touring eight of the twelve she wanted to look at, there was always a problem according to him.

The list had been endless: Too small, too old, too many neighbors with children, a crack dealer as a neighbor, too far from school, too close to school, prostitution ring in the building.

After hours of tours and trying to argue with him she thrust her printouts at him.

"Here you pick me somewhere to live, since you know it all," she seethed.

Throwing the papers into a nearby wastebasket only made her angrier.

"What the fuck?" she bellowed.

"You have a place to live; where you have been the last two weeks," he stated.

"I'm not living with you for much longer," she hissed. "You and I will kill each other!"

"If you were more agreeable and didn't try and argue with everything I said, you wouldn't be in any danger," he asserted as her anger spiked.

"Stupid, fucking overprotective idiot!" she yelled.

Storming off towards the next apartment, she had every intention of ignoring him for the rest of the day.

Throwing herself into school and staying with Angela and Jessica several nights had been how she had handled Rosalie's declaration of Edward's love. Never giving him time enough to explain, she avoided the conversation for almost a week; until he stormed into her room and woke her up an hour earlier than needed telling her everything.

"Yes, I love you," he admitted. "I'm in love with you."

When she tried to get off the bed with a huff, he stopped her. "Please, just hear me out."

"I respect you enough to let you find your own way," he went on. "I'll follow your lead, if you want a friend, boyfriend, or"- he paused raising his eyebrow- "mate?" As expected Bella tried to hide a giggle, but only managing to snort through a grimace as he smirked at her. "It's your decision; it's all in your hands. If you say you want my family and I to leave you alone, we'll leave."

"What do you want?" she whispered.

His eyes penetrated Bella's, and he softly sighed, "Just you."

She smiled leisurely, lunging at him, and then she was kissing him again.

When the kiss ended, they were both smiling; Bella's brain had woken enough to be a smartass, "You're just going to have to deal with my morning breath."

"I'll live in a box under a bridge or with the pimp before I'll stay with you," she muttered to no one in particular. "Shit, I'll be a crack whore! Change my name to Nina S. Pankin!"

Walking several silent feet behind her, he knew her rant would be over within minutes. He made a mental note to buy her chocolate.

Stopping abruptly, she turned to him and glared.

"Stop following me, God damn it," she barked.

"There are four fraternity houses on this street; you are not walking through here alone," he argued. "And certainly not living amongst them."

"Nina S. Pankin is going to need clients," she smirked. "And a new wardrobe, which you can pay for; it can be your penance for fucking up my day."

"Sister Bella, what is your penance for your language, ten Hail Mary's?" he asked.

"Eat me!" she blustered.

"I'm not a zombie," he noted as Bella collapsed in a fit of giggles.

After a full minute of her laughing and crying he inquired, "What is wrong with you?"

"You are…" she stammered through giggles and coughing, holding her sides. "You are so stupid."

"This coming from someone standing in the middle of a residential street having hysterics," he taunted back to her while she was bent over.

"Eat me - as in, your mouth on my coslopus," she laughed. "Not ravaging my flesh with your mouth."

Stunned by her bluntness, he started laughing with her.

"That…wouldn't…be a good idea with…your current status," he choked out through his own laughter, but his statement had sobered her.

"You're one of those guys who refuse to have sex with a girl on her period?" she interrupted.

"As good as your blood smells to me," he stated.

"Does my blood smell better than others?" she inquired.

"You're mouthwatering," he answered. "Like freesia and strawberries."

"Freesia and strawberry is not mouthwatering," she insisted. "Bacon and pizza are mouthwatering.""

Shaking his head, he led her back to his car.

In the privacy of the vehicle, Bella could ask questions concerning Rosalie.

"Edward?" she stated. "Why did you not tell Rosalie who I am when you figured it out?"

"As you know, Rosalie is under the impression you are Marie Hale living with her parents in Rochester," he stated. "When she was changed, she fought all of us to try to collect you. She wouldn't understand she was a danger to you since her change. For the first six months, I was the only one who could be alone with her, and, as Alice could see what she was planning next, she needed Jasper or Carlisle by her side at all times in order to stop Rosalie. She tried to sneak off to get you several times and came within a mile of Wendy and Mike's home a handful of times."

Bella shuddered thinking of what damage and hurt a ferocious, mother-wanting-her-newborn Rosalie could pull off. Anton Chigurh came to mind.

"We never told you were adopted; only Alice and I know. She wouldn't know where to look for you. From the memories I have seen, she was not Renee's biggest fan, and from what you have revealed I'm not."

"What stopped her from coming?" she asked.

"Carlisle brought a vial of human blood home to her one day. Her bloodlust was so overwhelming, she attacked him."

Bella gasped at his statement, "She attacked him?"

"We stepped in; no one was hurt. Afterwards, Rosalie knew why she couldn't come for you; she knew she would hurt you."

"But why not tell her who I am?" she asked.

"She made us vow, particularly Alice and I, to never have contact with you and never watch you. She wants you to have a happy, fulfilled, human life without interference from us; the life which was taken away from her."

"She'll go ape shit if she finds out?" she asked.

"Alice has seen her maiming me, sending you back to Washington and making us disappear, or all of us disappearing without saying goodbye. You would never find us," he somberly claimed.

"I don't want you to disappear," she feared.

"I'm not going anywhere," he vowed. "But we can't keep this from her; we can't keep lying to her."

"And the fact you are in love with me?" she stated with apprehension.

"Just angers her more," he answered. "Jealous and angry Rosalie is dangerous."

"Jealous?" she laughed.

"Humans can do the one thing she wants more than anything," he stated.

"Be a mother," she related bleakly.

* * *

Rosalie will know everything, eventually. Does the dilemma make a bit more sense now? Lime-y things are in the future for our love birds.

How many had to look up who Anton Chigurh is?

How long do you think before Bella caves to Edward's love game?


	15. He is evil by his very nature

Author's Chapter Notes:

Muchos Gracias to the chickens that fix this for me, ajasperforme and angelgoddess1981. I'll send high priced escorts to their homes soon. Thank you guys so much for the feedback you give, love it...

* * *

He is Evil by His Very Nature

Bella had been miserable all day; from when she woke Saturday morning to that night. She lay in bed with no sound, nor light; nothing except a pesky, anxious vampire to trouble her. She had woken with an aching body and head, which painfully throbbed its way into a migraine. None of the over-the-counter medicine she had taken gave her any reprieve. Edward had begged Carlisle to give her something, but Bella refused it when he offered.

"She doesn't want anything stronger than Tylenol," Carlisle told Edward after he asked for the fifth time. While Edward snapped out, "Give her a shot. She shouldn't be tortured."

"I thought you outgrew your assault and battery phase," he said, shaking his head. "She said she can sleep it off; leave her alone."

"You took the Hippocratic Oath to treat the sick," Edward bargained.

"Avoiding those twin traps of over treatment," he nodded. "Leave her alone."

Vomiting had been heard from her room several times. Esme had helped in the bathroom as Bella gagged on bile. Bowed over the toilet in only underwear and tank, she swiped sweat and was barely able to stand. Esme helped her back to bed several times throughout the day. It had been the only reprieve Bella had been given from Edward; he wouldn't dare argue with Esme when she told him to get out.

Walking back upstairs to her room, he had a bowl of soup and several more medications. Her breathing wasn't even; she wasn't asleep, but Carlisle still gave him another warning, "Bothering her isn't helping her."

Edward glared at him and opened the door. Not making a sound, he crept into the room and sat the tray down. Bella had no idea he was in the room until she felt the bed dip beside her, and he started whispering.

"Bella, I brought you soup and more Tylenol."

Hugging the pillow closer to her head, she repeated, "Leave me alone."

Feeling helpless, he lay beside her and watched her face contort every few minutes from the pain. He watched as she drifted in and out of sleep for hours. Around midnight he had run out of patience, once again.

"Would a heating pad help?"

"No," she moaned.

"What about a cold compress?"

Shaking her head, she rolled to her side towards him.

"What has helped before?"

"Undisturbed-ness," she whispered.

"Please, just tell me something to help," Edward begged. She knew the longest migraine she had had been almost 24 hours long. The only thing to help her was a dark, soundless room she could sleep in. The only time Charlie would not watch TV in the evening had been when she had been having one. It hurt to think, but Bella, trying to appease him, remembered her Aunt Vera saying something to her.

"Aunt Vera says one thing helps her," Bella whispered. Her migraines were genetic; her grandmother and Aunt Vera both struggled with it.

"Anything," Edward promised. "I'll try anything."

"An orgasm helps," she whispered.

It had been three weeks since Bella agreed to live with the Cullen's for a few more months. She still looked at apartments online, but every apartment she bookmarked seemed to disappear when she went back to it. Things were moving very slow in their sexual relationship; too slow for her. They had kissing down, and Bella burst with joy when he finally copped a feel of her ass. Every night, Bella would grab Edward's arm as he spooned her and try to put his hand on her boob. It took several days before Edward relinquished and groped her boob openly. Getting him to sleep in boxers had been worse than getting lectured by her dentist about flossing on a regular basis.

"Even Fundamentalists move faster than we are," she laughed with Alice one day.

"He's always been conservative in his sex life," Alice stated. "He never jumped into a bed with women- except one, but we don't mention her."

"You can't say that and not tell me the story," she instructed.

"Cleo is not in a giving mood."

"Bitch," she giggled.

"This bitch isn't celibate though," Alice laughed.

"An _orgasm_ helps will help with your migraine?" Edward shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."

"Orgasms release certain chemicals which alleviate pain," she whispered, her head hurting with every syllable. "You can Google it."

"Why have you tried it now?" he asked.

"You asked," she said rolling onto back. "Now will you leave me be?"

After several minutes of internal debating with himself, he shifted his body, lying closer to her, "Tell me if I hurt you."

Blinking up at him, she nodded. Vera had told her an orgasm helped her migraines, but she had just wanted him to leave her alone; she was placating him.

He leaned over and kissed her briefly, running his palm up and down her thighs. Pulling her tank off, he grazed her skin as he moved down her body. "Just relax," he requested and unhurriedly pulled her underwear down her legs. She lay back, fully bare, as he ravished her skin with his mouth. Reaching the place which throbbed, she gripped onto his hair as his tongue churned around her most responsive spot.

"You feel so good," she moaned through pain and pleasure. Her words spurred him on, making him unyielding and rougher with her. Not long after he started, she was struggling to breathe as he licked and consumed her warm skin over and over and over. Agonizing, blazing bliss and throbbing spread through her as he kept up his ministrations.

Seconds, minutes, or hours later, she came down from her elevated feeling, not having as much pain as she did.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hugging her to him.

"I think—" She was still finding it hard to catch her breath. "—I think I will hurt myself from now on if cunnilingus is the remedy."

He nuzzled her neck as she explained, "Seriously, scraped knee needs cunnilingus; common cold, dining at the Y; broken nail, drinking from the furry cup; pounding head, gamahouche. I could go on forever."

Laughing at her, he silently patted himself on the back, beaming with pride.

He had not hurt her; he had satisfied her.

He had made the pain go away.

He had a horrible case of blue balls. Oral would solve his pain too, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

Rosalie would kill him for doing this before they were married.

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

My first attempt at lime-y(?) scene, how did I do? In the next chapter we will be getting some info and skipping ahead in time.

Last line, is Rosalie cool with before marraige sexual activity? Is she okay with it when it involves her kid?

What is the funniest synonym for cunnilingus you have ever heard?

Review gets a small teaser...

Oh, I submitted a story to The Canon Tour's Twilight Round, it's called Where It's Harder To Live, please check it out and also support The Canon Tour. PM if you need any directions to get there...


	16. Tis better to bear the ills we have

Author's Chapter Notes:

Some more info, some fun times. Ajasperforme and Angelgoddess1981 do a chapter well, don't you know...

Not mine, dear readers, not mine...

* * *

Tis better to bear the ills we have than fly to others that we know not of

After several weeks, Bella had given up on finding an apartment, and Edward thwarted every attempt for her finding one. He deleted the bookmarks and email from her laptop, he deleted the phone numbers and messages from her phone, or he called after Bella and told landlords she wasn't interested any longer. She thought it was cute, even funny...the first couple times he sabotaged her. But after several times, she became irritated. Edward found her irritation adorable. Esme and Carlisle had built a relationship with Bella; foregoing the fact they knew she had lied before about it, they never asked specifics about her family. She had been with them for two months when she stopped avoiding Wendy and answered her phone. She spoke on a regular basis with her Aunt Vera, whom told her Wendy was worried about her, but was not going to apologize.

"I lived with her for eighteen years, I know how she is," Vera stated. "She will blame you for eternity, but she still worries."

"It's not like she is a vampire," Bella quipped. "Give me three months, and then I will talk to her."

Charlie tried relentlessly to get her to change schools, closer to him.

"Seattle? California? Oregon? Any of the schools on the west coast?" he insisted.

"Dad, I want to finish here," she stated.

Edward never pushed her for more, but they did continue with their strange relationship. He took her out on dates at every chance, constantly wooing her. She released the fact she was his girlfriend, but she showed no emotion of love. He told her several times a week he loved her, but her response was not what he wanted.

"I know," she'd state. She would smile. She would change the subject. He told her he loved her each time he had to leave to hunt, and her response would always be, "Come back to me."

She continued to be close to Alice, whom she often confided in.

"I'm nineteen; I should be worried about STDs and professors not checking out my ass; not eternity," she stated.

"I get it. Edward has never been happy. He never settled down. He just settled to keep from drowning in loneliness," she continued. "I think we had a lot to do with it. He was the fifth wheel, and whether he will admit it or not, he didn't want us to feel pity for him."

"So, he just grabbed the first girl?" she asked.

"No, nothing like that. The first girl, Abigail, chased him for months. We were living in Canton at the time. She had a more historic diet; she changed for him. She thought she was in love with him. After months and months, he gave in and asked her to a movie. He wasn't happy; he was more content than anything." She paused, thinking about the past.

"I'll let him tell you the details, but after her, he started searching for something. He never found it. Has he told you about the day you were born and the days that followed?"

Bella told her what she knew.

"He was seeing someone. He rode in the ambulance holding you." She continued telling Bella how he didn't want anyone else getting their hands on her. "He finally released you to a doctor. Caroline, the woman he was seeing, came to the hospital to help with Rosalie; he wouldn't leave with her." She stopped and looked more directly at Bella. "He wouldn't leave you."

"So, what happened?" she asked.

"She came back the next day to get him to leave. They screamed, at our level of course, the humans thought they were glaring at each other whispering. He told her to leave; leave and never come back. He didn't see it then, and I don't think he sees it now, but he had found what he was looking for that day. He had decided to go to Forks and watch over you from afar. He respected your mother though, and obeyed her. He stopped looking; he said he wanted a break from it all. Rosalie, of course, thought he wanted her. He missed you; even days old you, he missed you. Emmett hurt his feelings, and he gave up and started dating Kate. For the last decade or so, he has been going through the motions for us, but he became alive when he figured you out."

"So did I," she stated.

"Some may think he is unhappy with your standoff about his feelings, but he has never been happier. He gets to see you everyday; it means everything to him. Anything else is gravy."

By May, Rosalie had come around to the house while Bella was present; she wasn't as cold to Bella as she had been. She never started a conversation with her. Bella was too intimidated to start one with her, but they could sit in the same room together. She had stopped rolling her eyes and snarling her nose at her...for the most part. Emmett and Jasper were closer to her. Emmett told her about him and Alice working as costume characters at a theme park.

"We were completely hidden under the big heads, but people were still scared to death of us. We got Jasper to work with us to calm people down, but it still didn't last more than a couple weeks. We quit when Alice saw us being canned."

"Who did you play?" she asked.

"I was Baloo; I wanted to be Baby Herman, but my sequined nipples hinder that."

"Who was Alice?"

"Sally Brown, of course," she spoke up.

"And Jasper?"

An unexpected voice sang out, "My Pooh Bear."

"Shut up, Edward," Jasper called as everyone laughed. "Let us not forget who the first male nurse in Harrington, Maine in 1962 was."

"You're a nurse? I thought you were a doctor?" Bella asked.

"I can actually work as a nurse," he stated. "Emmett's ass has been in Playgirl."

"No," Bella gasped.

"Good times," Emmett announced. "April 2002, anonymous submission."

"The website was crashed when it was posted," Rosalie stated proudly.

"Do you want to see it?" Emmett asked excitedly. "I have the original picture, the magazine and the link."

Bella couldn't answer him from laughing but several no's came around her.

"Unfortunately, Emmett is a spreader and not a clincher," Alice stated.

"Spreader?" Bella asked.

"Your ass either clinches to show nothing or spreads and shows the whole shebang," Rosalie answered.

"I have the cutest asshole in the world, right babe?" he stated.

Edward shuddered, and Jasper made a gagging sound as Rosalie answered, "The best."

"You need to see Papa's ass," Emmett said. "It's better than Edward's; rock solid and hairless."

"I don't have a hairy ass," he answered.

Later that evening, Bella walked into the den joining Jasper in front of the television and watched the ending of a movie.

After several minutes Jasper spoke, "I know."

"You know what?" Bella asked.

"The truth about you; you don't hide it as well as you think," he stated. "How does the saying go? It's written all over your face."

"I never wanted to hurt anyone," she whispered.

"Sometimes we have to lie to the ones we love. But you need to sort yourself out or both of you will end up hurt."

"We're going to tell her, but Edward and Alice don't think now is the best time."

"Tell her?" Jasper questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your feelings toward Edward," he stated. "Who is she?"

"Uh... I thought you were talking about..." she stuttered, until Jasper interrupted her. "You don't have to lie to me; I have no care about your human issues."

"That's... a bit rude," she stated.

"Not any ruder than you telling lies," he countered.

Several moments passed before she asked, "How can you feel a lie?"

"I feel the horror and nervousness-clearly you are telling a lie. Sometimes it's disappointment and disgust; you don't want to lie. Why are you?"

"Have you ever had to tell someone something that would forever alter their lives, and it could either destroy everything, or be the missing puzzle piece?"

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

I would kiss each and every one of you for the reviews, if a strange female shows up at your door with puckered lips, don't fret, it's just me.

So, Jasper? What did you think?

Oh, some guidance please? I am thinking of buying a netbook, pros and cons? Thanks!


	17. Ambition Should Be Made Of Sterner Stuff

I know, I know, I am late. I am sorry, time got away from me, I didn't realize it had been two and a half months. I bow down to anyone who is still with me, consider yourself honored by me.

Important question at the bottom.

Still not mine...

* * *

Ambition Should Be Made Of Sterner Stuff

"I received a decent offer on the house," Edward stated, walking into the kitchen joining Esme and Carlisle.

She was fixing breakfast for Bella as Carlisle read the daily paper. "Escrow will be finalized tomorrow."

"You're going to sell it?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't have a need for it anymore," he said. "Unless I'm not welcome here anymore."

They left for a hunting trip soon after Bella's breakfast was ready.

Edward wanted to move into a place for he and Bella, but didn't want to push her further. He wanted her to push him. They were continually getting closer, getting to know each other, and falling for one another.

Bella had always been open to the relationship with Edward, but never wanted to admit her feelings ran further than just friends.

Until one of her days out with Alice; her attitude drastically changed to more affectionate and happier. She asked more questions about him, asking about everything in the 20th century.

"What were you doing in 1954?"

"Where were you when WWII started?"

"How did you avoid the draft?"

"Did you go disco dancing?" The list went on and on; hours of answering her questions, and she opened up more on herself when they were away from his family.

Edward had learned that Renee had contacted Bella a couple of times when she was a child, but Charlie had refused to let her visit her.

"He told me she called when she was out of money, or she had broken up with whoever she was dating. She was looking for money and a place to crash until the next one."

She didn't regret being adopted by her though.

"I have Charlie. He is all I could ever want in a parent."

"Well, Rosalie will be happy you had at least one parent who actually parented," he said.

She giggled and leaned down to kiss him. Just as the kiss was getting deeper, Edward heard a flicker of Tanya Svoboda's thoughts coming down the driveway.

"As much as I would love to keep kissing you, we have a guest to attend to," he murmured.

"I thought the house was empty," Bella whispered against his mouth.

"Tanya just pulled up outside."

"Hmph."

Just as Edward slid Bella from his lap, Tanya came through the front door.

Does she not knock, Bella thought.

Edward introduced the females to each other as Tanya kept her thoughts vague and polluted with gibberish.

"Bella, this is our cousin, Tanya Svoboda; Tanya, my girlfriend, Bella," he stated.

"It's nice to meet you," Bella said, offering her hand, which was ignored.

Tanya spoke with a heavy Russian accent, "Where is everyone? No one has been home. We have an issue to attend to."

"They are all doing separate things; they should be back by tomor…" Edward's head whipped to the door, hearing Alice driving towards the house. "They are on their way back. They'll be here within a few minutes."

Alice and Jasper were through the door within a few seconds. "We have a very big problem," Alice announced. Edward absorbed Alice's vision of Tanya's news. His grip on Bella became clearly stronger, his fingers a cage on her waist.

"What?" Bella asked. "What's wrong?"

Tanya looked at her and sneered. "You destroyed and spoiled everything."

"Get out," Edward growled.

"Everyone would have been happy forever if you had not crooked your finger at Edward. Your presence is going to murder several people; humans and vampires."

"GET OUT, TANYA!" Edward shouted.

"I came to speak with Carlisle," she stated.

"My presence?" Bella asked. "Murder? What is she talking about?"

"The solution is to eliminate it," Tanya stated, glaring at Bella. "No one wants a dead body."

As dread coursed through her, Bella watched Alice open the front door and the blur of Edward grabbing Tanya and throwing her through it.

He yelled so loud, his voice hurt Bella's ears. "You can leave or wait outside."

"Can someone tell me what is going on, and why Tanya wants to eliminate me?"

Rosalie and Emmett came through the door as Edward was leading Bella to a couch.

"Why are you being rude to Tanya?" Rosalie asked.

Esme and Carlisle were in the yard speaking with Tanya. Inviting her in was interrupted by Edward's growl.

"She can stay outside," he stated.

Edward heard Carlisle tell Tanya that Bella was not to be harmed as they came through the door, but he still sat her between him and Emmett on a couch. Glaring at Tanya, he told what she had come to say.

"Kate has…"

"You don't have the permission to call her by her family name anymore," Tanya growled, but Alice continued the news.

"Katrina has disappeared with the vampires Tanya created. She is controlling them. They are running here to destroy Bella and anything that stands in their way."

Half of the Cullens were shocked and worried; Rosalie, Jasper and Tanya looked as if they were just told the weather. Bella was in shock.

"I'm going to run Bella south or overseas," Edward stated.

Emmett had other plans. "Three against seven, let them come."

"Newborns are easy to fight, but when Katrina turns her gift against you?" Alice asked. Before Jasper could speak, she continued, "She'll turn on us if we don't tell her where Bella is. She wants revenge. Bella took her mate; a mate for a mate."

Rosalie chimed, "The solution is simple, leave Bella here. Edward gets over his infatuation and returns to Kate."

"I won't let you in a fight with newborns and Kate," Jasper stated.

"We need to prepare for a fight," Emmett said.

"We can't leave Bella unprotected," Esme told them.

"There has to be a peaceful solution," Carlisle said.

As everyone argued, Bella planned to tell Rosalie who she was; she thought telling her would unite everyone.

Edward absorbed Alice's latest vision.

"Tanya, could you please go stay at mine and Jasper's home for a few minutes," Alice announced.

"Why can't she stay here?" Rosalie asked.

"We need to have a family meeting, and Tanya doesn't need to hear what I have to say," Edward stated.

"Edward," Esme said, "Tanya is family."

"This doesn't concern her, it concerns Bella," he said. "She should be able to have a say in who hears it."

Alice tossed her keys to Tanya as her vision became concrete.

After a few minutes, Edward began Bella's story.

"Bella is not who you think she is."

* * *

End Notes:

Important question: I feel like I am writing in circles and burning out on the third person POV, taking the story where I don't want it to go. I have wanted to redo the story with only Bella's POV, the story was supposed to be a drama/comedy and it has turned into an angst filled filler story, to me at least. When I sat down to start this I used an outline of: Bella is witty and quirky. A coffee addict, she makes many pop culture references. Bella speaks very fast, especially when upset. Engaging and trustworthy, she forms strong relationships with people around her making her one of the most beloved people in town. Ruthless when it comes to her own set of morals and principles, sarcastic to a fault, she can be too blunt for her own good. - It got off track somewhere and as someone pointed out in review, Bella is at the point of almost being unforgivable. When I redo the POV, Bella will be more snarky and fun; you'll get more details, more thoughts, just more in general. So the question is, would you like me to finish the story in this POV, 5-10 chapters, or delete the story and start posting the new POV, the time should not be much different, and the chapters will more than likely be longer. Let me know.


	18. By That Sin Fell The Angels

A/N:

So, after an overwhelming, finish this as it is, damn it, I'm going to_ finish this as it is, damn it_! Thanks for the ego boost in the reviews. AJasperForMe does both you and I favors in making this look pretty even though neither her nor I, own it.

Warning: Vague mentioning of sensitive material in this chapter, tread lightly if you need to.

* * *

By That Sin Fell The Angels

* * *

"Bella is not who you think she is," Edward admitted when Rosalie interrupted him.

"Why do we care who this girl is?" Rosalie asked. "We know enough; the girl who Edward wants to kill, who knows entirely too much for our, the family's, safety. We'll deal with Kate, but the moment the Volturi get a hold of your pet that none of us are doing anything about, a much bigger problem will arise."

"What's the Volturi?" Bella asked.

"Nothing for you to be worried with," Edward assured. "It's nothing for Rosalie to be worried with. She likes drama. That's all this is. Disregard her; I do."

"Yes, let's ignore the reality…" Rosalie started.

"Rose, none of us but Carlisle have met them. They're not going to show up to check on us," Esme stated.

Edward and Rosalie glared at one another until Rosalie stormed upstairs.

"Regardless of Rosalie's hesitation, I assure you, Bella, no harm will come to you," Carlisle stated.

"Hesitation, Carlisle?" Edward objected. "Rosalie is not hesitating; she doesn't care what happens."

Bella excused herself for the powder room and went in search of Rosalie. She had a bit of courage until she actually found her in Carlisle's office; then the courage flew out the window.

"Go trouble someone else," she said.

"Rosalie, I don't understand your hatred of me," Bella said.

"Hmph."

Bella stood for a few awkward seconds. When it became clear Rosalie would not be saying anything else, she murmured, "Right, I'll go trouble someone else."

As she turned to leave, Rosalie whispered, "I envy you, Bella. I covet what you can have."

"Hmmm ... because I was sensing hate, bothersome, human, loud, smart-ass ... Hell, stupid," Bella rattled off. "Envy isn't on the radar. Bella-sonar detected neither envy nor coveting."

"I find it stupid what you're going to do," she stated.

"What am I doing?"

"You're falling in love with Edward," she said.

"You're jealous because I love Edward?" Bella said. "But you have Emmett, and I thought vampires do the-old-in-and-out for life."

"Shut up," she ordered. "I'm not envious of Edward."

"But …" Bella started.

"I said shut up," she announced.

Looking at the floor, she hissed. "Stop growling at me."

"You love Edward, and that can only lead to one thing: you being turned into a vampire," she said.

She couldn't argue with that.

"Did Edward tell you how I became a vampire?"

"He told me it was a car accident," she said.

"And my human life?"

"He said it was your story to tell me."

Rosalie fought and lost the urge to smile at Edward's manners.

"When I was seventeen, I met the man I expected I would spend the rest of my life with," she said as Bella sat on a sofa.

"He was the most eligible bachelor in Buffalo, and I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Naturally, my mother just knew we would be perfect together. He was ten years older than me, and I was more than reluctant to flirt with someone much older than me. My mother wouldn't hear of it, though. My mother loved me, but controlled me. She had plans for me that I didn't care about. I wanted a career in law. I wanted to marry"-she shrugged her shoulders-"someone worthy of me and have a house full of children. She wanted me to marry him, an heir to a family fortune, and be pregnant a year after the wedding."

"Wow," Bella said, that sounded like Wendy.

"His parents didn't like me; I think they saw through me. They viewed me as inadequate for him. But after a few dates, I saw a delightful, charismatic, and handsome man. I saw someone I could love. It became physical after a few weeks, and for a moment I was happy."

"Just a moment?" Bella asked.

"I became pregnant one night we were at a friend's party. He was drunk and didn't use a condom, and I was too drunk to care."

_I was an accident,_ Bella thought. _And she wasn't happy about it._

"After I found out a couple months later, he demanded I get an abortion. When I refused, he stopped answering my calls and wouldn't have anything to do with me."

_I wasn't wanted_, Bella thought.

"I didn't care. I was determined to raise my child on my own; his money was neither needed nor wanted. I stopped crying after a week. I took care of myself for my baby. My father stopped my mother from saying anything to me for the most part. He wanted to kill him, but I told Father I didn't want anything else to do with him. Being supportive of me, he gave me enough money to move out and make it on my own. Promising to take care of me until I graduated college and could do it on my own, he was always on my side. At six months, my mother decided she could control me by dictating what I bought for my baby. She said she was helping, but she was overseeing everything. She chose what doctor I saw. She tried to control what I bought for the nursery. She determined what Lamaze class I went to. She started dropping hints about him, too."

Bella could see the anguish on her face.

"At almost eight months, she cracked. She wanted me to try again with him. She pushed and pushed. We would argue for hours, until I was in tears and screaming for her to leave."

Tears stung Bella's eyes. She was wanted, and she knew what she had to look forward to from her grandmother.

"I gave in. I blame it on hormones … but I didn't want to fight with her about it anymore."

"How did he react?"

"I went to his house; he lived in the middle of nowhere. He had a few friends over, and they were drinking. I told him why I was there. I told him the baby needed him in its life. He laughed. He said the only reason he was needed was for one thing."

Pausing, she seemed to hold herself together. Watching her open and close her mouth several times, Bella knew nothing good was coming.

"He and his friends held me down while taking turns with me," she said. "I'll spare you the details, but when they were done, he came back."

Her father had raped her mother; Charlie was protecting her from the harsh truth. She could taste the bile rising from her stomach.

"He made the mistake of putting his beer down beside me. I grabbed it and hit him across the face. Somehow the bottle broke, and I hit him with the jagged glass and cut his face."

"I ran from the house and got in my car and drove away. I cried. I cried so much. There was blood everywhere; I needed to get to the hospital. I had planned to stop at the first house I saw and ask for help. I was less than three miles from the closest house when I saw his car behind me. I don't remember what happened, but I woke later to Edward and Carlisle pulling my baby from me"-her eyes locked onto something Bella couldn't see-"I only held her once before I blacked out."

Bella couldn't hold the tears at bay any longer.

"Once I could control my thirst, I got my revenge on them. One by one, all of his friends died. I saved him for last; I wanted him to know I was coming for him. I wanted him frightened. Royce King begged for his life for hours while I tortured him. It took three days for me to change; I made sure he suffered for three days."

"My daughter turned nineteen on September 13th." Rosalie's eyes widened when Bella had spoken the date simultaneously. Confused, she asked, "How did you know that?"

"Because I was born via c-section on the side of the road on September 13th, 1992," she whispered. "Rosalie, I'm your daughter."

A/N

Sorry for the reply fail, ffn changed something and I can't reply like I usually do, but I promise to do better with this one...

So, now we all know the truth about B's father, although I think everyone knew who it was at this point.

Anyone notice B telling R she loves E before she tells E? Any predictions of the next scene?


	19. As he was valiant, I honour him

A/N

*Proudly* I am now gainfully employed, yay! I suck at time management obviously, nay, but I am getting better at it, as you can see I forgot to upload this, sorry. Thanks to ajasperforme and angelgoddess1981 for their plastic surgery on this, they do a body good...

Not mine...

* * *

"Rosalie, I'm your daughter."

Before Rosalie could react to Bella, Edward appeared in the room, standing protectively by Bella. He and Rosalie had another of their weird glare-offs, and then Rosalie looked to Bella. Pain and sadness flashed across her face, and then she disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered.

"Don't be, I've grown comfortable with people"-she stopped to sniffle-"walking away from me," Bella said.

"She'll return," he said and sat down beside her. "Are you okay? She gave you a lot of information."

"My dad, Charlie, really was protecting me all of this time, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"The sperm donor was an alcoholic rapist. He was a murderer in the end."

"From what I know, you got all of Rosalie's best features and none of his."

"Except his looks ... no wonder she hates me. I'd hate me, too. Having to look at the eyes of someone who would do that?"

"You don't look like him as much as you think," he promised. "His eyes were darker, sinister. Your's are beautiful, full of innocence. And you've seen pictures of Rosalie; her natural hair is more brown than blonde."

"Yeah," Bella said.

Sitting quietly for several minutes, Edward could hear Rosalie wasn't as far away as everyone thought; she was on the border of his talent. She was as confused as everyone else. Emmett was with her trying to help, but he was clueless as to what to do. 'Fucking kill Edward' was a revolving and dominant thought. Esme was also with them, but she also had no idea what to do.

"I'm sorry," Bella whispered.

"You haven't done anything to apologize for, Bella," Edward stated.

"When you told me about the fifteen, I thought I would be number sixteen. You would grow tired of this attraction; you'd find me boring and weak. I thought it would end before it really started," she said. "I told myself Rosalie would never accept me in her life, which I'm still sure of; I'll be gone within the day. I didn't want to harbor feelings for you just to be hurt in the end. I thought I could keep this light, but somewhere along the way of battling my feelings for you, I fell in love with you."

Edward couldn't stop his mouth from forming a smile. He had heard her tell Rosalie she loved him and had been holding out hope for months since she had not moved out. Hearing her vocalize it directly to him was more heartening and fulfilling than he could have ever imagined.

"So, I'm sorry for every time you told me you loved me and didn't get anything in return. I'm sorry for telling Rosalie before I told you. I'm so sorry for not telling you every day that I love you."

"Bella ..." Edward said.

"I love you, Edward."

An hour later, Edward excused himself from Bella's embrace to meet Rosalie downstairs.

"She has to vent to someone," he said when she asked why she wasn't coming downstairs. "I'd rather you not be there."

As he left, Esme came in and sat beside Bella.

"I'm sorry," Bella whispered.

Esme softly answered, in a tone only mothers know, "The vague answers and blatant lies make more sense now, but I wish you would have been honest sooner and trusted us to handle this as a family."

Bella barked a laugh at her; the tears Edward had almost stalled came back full force.

"Yeah, I deserve an academy award for the act I've tried to pull off."

Esme didn't answer her. Her eyes were fixed somewhere else, and then Bella saw the dread fall into her eyes.

"What..." Bella started but was interrupted by Edward and Alice coming through the door.

"Put these on," Edward demanded and tossed a pair of shoes at Bella.

"I'm going to run Bella West," he said as Esme left the room.

"No, Edward, she knows you won't leave Bella. Esme and I will take her," Alice said, walking in with Bella's allergy medicine.

"What? West? Leave?" Bella stuttered.

"I'll explain on the way," Alice said. "I'll give you a moment."

"What's going on?" Bella asked.

"Kate is closer than we thought; we have to get you out of here," Edward said.

"You're not coming with me?"

Wiping her tear-streaked cheeks with his thumbs, he promised, "I'll meet you in a couple days, three at the most." Enveloping her into a hug, he promised her again he'd be with her in three days and no harm would come to her.

"What about everyone else?" she asked.

"I don't want you worrying about this, Alice and Esme will take you somewhere safe; think of it as a long weekend. Spending too much money, raiding the mini-bar, and sleeping in are the requirements."

Lifting her head, she smirked and said, "Horrible timing, but I'm buying condoms while I'm away."

Smiling at her, Edward said, "Finally one of your plans I can be completely in support of."

"Skydiving isn't that dangerous, nor is buying a motorcycle," she teased. Edward kissed her softly once, and then his hands were in her hair, his mouth was on hers, hard and urgent, and she was kissing him back with everything she had.

"I love you," he said, breaking their kiss.

"I love you"-she quirked her eyebrow-"Sulley."

"Three days?" she asked.

"Three days or less," he promised. "You have to go now."

Downstairs, Esme and Alice were saying goodbye to their significant others, and Rosalie was nowhere in sight. Bella hoped she didn't show how that made her feel.

Edward helped her into the car and kissed her forehead.

"Alice and Esme will keep you safe and don't worry about us. Try to have some kind of a good time; Alice is very good at distractions."

Suddenly, Rosalie appeared beside Edward. Bella couldn't quite read the look on her face; she seemed to not be able to hold onto one emotion for more than a fraction of a second.

"He's right, Alice and Esme will keep you safe," she said. The car doors opened and they were in the front of the car and the engine was turning over.

Edward shut her door, but before Alice accelerated, Bella whispered, "Be safe."

* * *

A/N

West? Where could they possibly be going?


	20. Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yoursel

I know, I know. Please forgive a bitch. (I say this in a Lafayette voice, by the way.)

* * *

_Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it._

Three women boarded a plane heading west. While everyone else in the cabin enjoyed a movie, Bella reminisced about the last several months. She shivered thinking of Edward and company hunting Kate and the newborns as they hunted her. Alice was across the aisle with her eyes focused somewhere only she could see, searching for an answer. Esme read a book she had picked up at the airport.

She remembered the first day she moved in with her grandparents, how happy she was to move to Tennessee. She smiled at how wide-eyed and nervous and scared and excited she was during orientation. She barely paid attention to Charlie rambling on about being careful, demanding she always carry her pepper spray and be wary of people.

She remembered walking into the lecture hall and seeing Rosalie and Edward for the first time. When Harry hung up on her for the questions about the picture on the wall, she was hurt and offended. When Edward first spoke to her, when she first heard Rosalie's voice, they sounded like angelic chimes. Alice had tried so hard to speak to her and Edward would not allow her. The first time she kissed Edward, and then their first real kiss. The first time they did anything sexually. The first time he told her he loved her. The first time she admitted to herself she loved him.

When her grandmother slapped her, bitch-slapped her, for not getting out of bed. When she read Edward's name on the back of her newborn picture. When she collided with him after crying in the bathroom. When Edward stopped the van from killing her, and arguing with her, demanding she go to a hospital. The feel of his cold hands on her the first time.

When he ignored her for two months. Kate glaring at her. Edward's note: 'You are wrong about me'. The wet dreams she still had, with and without happy endings.

When she was told the truth about Rosalie, how Rosalie was lied to just as she was lied to. Mates reminding her of monkeys fucking in a tree. Edward opening up to her. Finding out he guarded her while she slept. Tickling turning into kissing; calling him Sulley. Moving in with him.

Singing the Addams family song while meeting Jasper and Emmett for the first time. When Rosalie announced Edward was in love with her. Arguing with Edward in the middle of the street while apartment hunting-Nina S. Pankin. Joking and telling stories with Jasper and Emmett. Edward's hissy fit when she made an appointment to go skydiving. Seeing Emmett's ass in Playgirl.

Earlier that day, seeing Tanya, and Edward throwing her out. Finally telling Rosalie the truth and learning the truth about her sperm donor. Rosalie fleeing the room.

Learning Kate was bringing two newborn vampires to kill her.

Looking back to Alice, she saw what she had seen for the last several hours. Looking into the future to find ... peace.

* * *

Short, sweet trip down memory lane. I am working on the next real chapter. Give me a few weeks and it will be yours...

Tell me, which memory was your favorite, more of that scene may just pop up in your inbox...

stigmame


	21. I will say nothing

No, I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing.

_"Three days or less," he promised. "You have to go now."_

Three days or less had turned from a long weekend to almost eight days., Eeight long days of only texting with Edward and Alice's weird staring into nothing and then smiling. Or frowning. Or nodding.

It really is too bad vampires cannot be strangled.

As promised, after a weekend with Charlie, Alice and Esme had kept Bella distracted and busy with anything Alice could think of. And Alice could think: museums, spas, tourist attractions. It was worse than when she lived with her grandmother.

Tanya had tipped-off Kate that Alice had run with Bella and Edward was coming after her and the two newborns, Victoria and James.

The three companions had spent the weekend with Charlie, which delighted him and confused him. He didn't quite understand how Esme would rather sleep on the couch than let him sleep on it and take his bed. As Bella was a zombie and needed coffee in the morning as usual, Alice and Esme were bright-eyed and bushy- tailed, awake for the day even earlier than his 5 AMam. He took Sunday off and the four spent the entire day not doing much of anything. Exactly what Bella wanted, a lazy day.

Monday morning they had a tearful ; Bella and a not-quite-ready Charlie as they said their goodbyes once again.

"I start summer classes soon, but before fall, I will be back for a visit," Bella sobbed. "A longer visit, a week at least, maybe the whole month."

"Bells," Charlie uttered, not being able to say much more. He had feeling something was not right. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ddad."

Bella sobbed in the backseat while Esme drove and Alice looked into the future. It was more than an hour when Alice thrust a phone into Bella's hand.

"Five minutes, then hang up," she instructed.

"Bella?" She could hear coming from the headset.

"Edward?" she asked.

"We'll come to your dad's again and again, every weekend you want," he promised, as she tried to control her tears.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she sighed. "What if I never see him again?"

"Hey, don't worry about that. You will see him again. You're not going to be harmed., Alice thinks we can see each other in less than a week. We will _all_ see each other in a week."

She knew he was alluding to Rosalie being with him, but all she could think of had been Charlie.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I have to go and I love you," he said, making her smile.

"I love you, too."

She stared out of the window for hours, staying silent until she saw the exit Esme was taking.

"Seattle is not this exit.; Yyou need to be on Interstate 5 North, not South."

"We're not going to Seattle," Alice said.

"Why?"

"Victoria, James, and Kate went three different directions. Victoria is closing in on Forks, ; somehow she knows we are in Washington."

"My dad …" Bella gasped.

"Is safe. Rosalie is actually there now, but I don't think Victoria will try there."

"And the other two?" Bella questioned.

"Kate knows how my visions work., Sshe knows she can keep her mind on something else and I won't be able to see her. James is going towards Kansas."

"Kansas? What is in Kansas?"

"I don't know," Alice said. "We're going to stay close to the coast, chase the sunny weather for once. We'll stop in San Francisco in several hours and spend a couple days in the area, and maybe head towards Mexico."

As the interstate and states passed, Alice and Esme tried to keep Bella's mood up by playing silly road trip games and telling old stories to embarrass the others. She noticed how every now and again Alice would stop what she was doing, groan and shake her head and then type a message on her phone. She was too quick for Bella to read anything she typed.

It was amazing to Bella how they covered almost nine hundred miles in less than ten hours, having to stop half a dozen times for her to eat or stretch her legs, but by eight pm PM they were checking into a chic hotel.

Alice was ticking off all the things they could do that night, but Bella wanted nothing but sleep.

The next day was when Alice showed up with what looked like a whole nail salon.

"Can I text Edward?" Bella asked, while Alice was filling a basin with warm water for her pedicure.

"In twenty minutes," Alice said.

"Tell me more about vampires," Bella requested.

"You're not asking about our diet are you?" Alice stated.

"No, just …" Bella cringed, trying to ask about vampires being in love and didn't want to say mating.

"Edward loves you, Bella," Esme stated. "And will always love you., Tthat's all there is, love."

"As great as that is, I don't see how I am enough."

"Vampires don't fall in and out of love like humans; our emotions are not as fickle as humans'. On most things we feel it or not. I feel sorry for homeless persons I see or they don't register. But we are also almost obsessive towards certain persons; we obsess over every little detail of them. We love everything about them, their demons, their angels, their quirks, and their physical and emotional scars, everything."

"Wow."

"Like I've told you before, Edward wants and needs to be in your life, everything else is gravy. It's not painful to not be around you, but it feels," she stopped for a moment. "Tthe best way I can describe the feeling right now is if you take two repelling magnetic poles and try to push them together. Y, you can use all of your might and force and you'll never get them to go, turn one around and instant attachment. I'm with you, but everything in me is saying to turn and go to Jasper. I know where he is at this very moment, and I have to keep myself here."

When she gave the go ahead, Bella started typing.

**Alice is giving me a pedicure and explaining mating, aka monkeys doing it in the jungle.**

**Don't believe a word she says.**

**She says you obsess over everything about me, even peach fuzz on my face?**

**I love everything you are, yes.**

**Do you want the dead skin Alice is shaving off?**

**Not particularly.**

**Oh, what about the white stuff that comes out of my zits? Eye crust?**

**I am glad you are having fun.**

**Pubes from my wax? Or maybe clipped nails?**

**I love you and will see you soon.**

* * *

**I know, I knowwwww I am all kinds of fail on this, but the good news is there's only two(?) chapters left and they are planned and should be updated much faster than the last two. Thanks to AJasperForMe for making this pretty, pretty, pretty for me.**

**Recs wanted.**

**I'm running out of Vampwards to read, do you have any of the little known gems hanging around that I may not know about? Much appreciated if you do. As for my rec to you, simplesongsnsilence with Experimentation. It's not finished, but worth the read.**


	22. Some Are Born Great

I'm sorry, okay. I know I'm all kinds of fail at this, but we're almost at the end, only one chapter to go. And this is a huge chapter for me, like three times what you guys usually get.

If you need a reminder, becasue honestly I did:

Bella tells Rosalie the truth, that she is her daughter

No time for a joyful or horror movie reunion because Kate is mad as hell that Bella stole her man/vampire/mate and has recruited James and Victoria to hunt Bella.

Alice and Esme run with Bella while everyone else hunts for Kate and company.

* * *

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them

As promised, Bella, Esme, and Alice had only spent two days in California and left for Arizona. Alice could still not see what Kate was up to, but her companions were in Kansas. Victoria had made a sudden turn from Washington to join James in Kansas, which annoyed Alice to no end because she did not know why they were there. She could only detect Kate sporadically.

They were staying in a hotel in Douglas near the Mexican border for the day when Bella received a phone call from an anonymous caller.

"Were you expecting a phone call?" Esme inquired.

"No," Bella insisted watching her phone for a voicemail, "probably just a telemarketer."

She rarely answered calls she did not know, unless she was expecting such a call. The first time the call came she did not answer; the second she was not close enough to her phone to answer it. By the third call in less than an hour, she was annoyed and irate.

"What?" she demanded, but she was met with a click and silence as the phone call abruptly ended.

The phone started ringing again before she had the phone an inch away from her face. Hitting answer she angrily said, "Hello?"

Again, the phone call was disconnected abruptly.

"My number is on the Do Not Call list, it shouldn't be a sales call," Bella grumbled. "Can you see who's calling me?"

She was met with a shake and the ringing of her phone again.

"Motherfucker, what do you want?" she yelled into the phone.

"Bella?" Edward replied, "What's wrong?"

Relief flooded her once she realized it was him.

"Nothing," she asserted shaking away the aggravation to focus on him, "just an annoying phone call. Where are you? How are you?"

"We're outside of Kansas. Bella, I'm sorry- we lost them. All three of them. Kate seems suspicious of us- she's careful to stay just far enough away that I can't hear what she's thinking, but she's gone now- it looks like she got on a plane. We think they are heading back to Tennessee to start over." I could hear Alice filling in Esme behind me, her quick words blurring together into a humming noise.

"What if they go to Forks? My dad?" Bella choked out.

"I don't see them there, and Charlie is spending the weekend in La Push fishing with friends- he'll be safe," Alice declared without any doubtfulness.

"How is he going to be safe in La Push?" Bella asked perplexed as to why her dad would be safe in a Native American tribe.

"It's a story for later," Alice claimed. "Just trust that he will be safe."

"You don't have to worry. They won't find anything at either place to lead to you. You just have to stay there and wait till we find them again," Edward assured her.

"What was Victoria doing in Forks?"

"Probably trying to pick up the trail. She's been all through the town during the night. Rosalie traced her through the airport, all the roads around town, the school...she's digging, Bella, but there's nothing to find."

"Are you sure Charlie's safe?"

"Yes. Rosalie will go back to Forks if Alice sees anything."

"I miss you."

"I know, Bella. Believe me, I know. It's like you've taken half myself away with you."

"Come and get it, then," she challenged.

"I have to make you safe first, but I will be with you soon. I'll come for you."

"I love you," Bella said.

"I love you more," Edward replied. "And I'll come for you soon."

"I'll be waiting."

As soon as the phone went dead, Bella turned to Alice who was bent over a table with Esme sketching on a piece of hotel stationary.

She drew a room: long, rectangular, with a thinner, square section at the back.

It looked oddly familiar to Bella, but she couldn't place it. She knew it was nowhere in Forks, and did not think it was in Tennessee.

"Something's changed," Alice declared. "James and Victoria are here waiting.

"Where is the room?" Esme asked.

"I don't know. Something is missing-another decision hasn't been made yet."

"How much time?" Esme requested

"It's soon. It all depends on Kate. They are waiting for something."

"What is Kate doing?" Bella questioned.

"She's tracing something, looking for something- in a bar."

"A bar?" Bella asked confused, "Is there anything else?"

Alice shook her head.

"What does it mean?" Bella asked.

"It means the plan has changed. Someone has made a decision and they all three will elude all of us and end up in this room."

Alice and Esme tried to keep Bella occupied and in good spirits, but something ate at Bella's conscious. Something was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't put anything together. Something wasn't quite right with the information.

Why were James and Victoria in Kansas? Why was Kate tracking someone in a bar? Where was the room where James and Victoria were waiting - why that room.

Alice kept in touch with Edward and Jasper very often calling them with updates, but Bella could not understand anything she spoke so fast. And she would not explain anything to her, just that things were moving along.

It was just after two in the morning when Bella woke to use the restroom. She found Alice and Esme sitting on a couch while Alice sketched.

This time she was sketching a person while Esme looked over her shoulder.

Bella sat beside Alice for a closer look.

"Something more?" she asked.

"Yes. Kate has found whoever she was tracing, but it doesn't make sense. I don't know who the person is."

Bella watched as Alice drew a female with short dyed blond hair who looked to be in her mid-forties. Bella could barely remember the eyes that she watched come to life on paper.

"The mole goes there," she whispered, pointing at the drawn woman's left jaw.

Two pairs of eternal eyes looked at her.

"That's Renee."

Alice was already off the couch, phone in hand, dialing. Bella stared at the precise drawing of her adopted mother who had abandoned her so long ago. Esme drew Bella into her arms and held her.

"Why her? It doesn't make sense," Bella cried. "Why her?"

"I don't know," Esme answered.

Alice was in front of her in a flash stating, "Bella, Edward is coming to get you. He and Carlisle and me are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."

"Edward is coming," Bella sobbed.

"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Kansas City. We'll meet him at the airport and leave with him and Carlisle."

"Renee, they went for her. What are they going to do with her?" she cried.

"Bella, the decision has been made; Kate has spoken with Renee. I know what they are doing and how it fits."

"Renee and you went to Kansas City once when you were two or three. The room I drew was a meeting room next to a locker room. You were put in that room with a movie to watch you while Renee was doing something else," Alice explained with a look of pure disgust on her face, "You evidently left the room looking for something to drink and were still gone when she finally came for you.

Esme hugged Bella harder.

"He hasn't been tracking me at all has he?" Bella bawled, "He'll hurt someone I love won't he?"

"We will find them, Bella." Esme assured.

The only hope Bella had left she knew she would see Edward soon.

Only minutes had passed when the phone rang again.

They're boarding the plane now, they'll be landing at seven-forty-five," Alice explained.

"Get our things together and I will go check out," Esme announced.

"We aren't staying here?"

"No, we will be boarding a plane at eight," Alice stated. "It's too bad we don't have your passport; we could really use it right now."

As Alice packed, Bella tried to put together what was happening. Why Kansas and why Renee?

Her phone rang across the room and Alice answered on the first ring, "Hello? No, she's right here." She shrugged when Bella asked who it was.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Bella?" It was Renee's voice, in an unacquainted tone. Frantic and pleading were new to Bella, she only knew cruel and flighty. It was the sound of panic.

Bella had not spoken to Renee in over a decade and did not know how to lessen the urgency of it. What had Kate said to her to make her call? How did she get her phone number?

"Calm down, Renee," she said in her most soothing voice and walked into the bedroom away from Alice.

"Renee?" Bella asked.

"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to."

The voice Bella heard was as unfamiliar as it was unexpected. She had only heard the voice in angry tones.

Kate spoke very quickly.

"Now, I don't need to hurt your mother, so please do exactly as I say, and she'll be fine." Kate paused for a moment while Bella listened in mute horror.

"Now," Kate continued "Repeat after me, and do try to sound natural. Please say, 'No, Renee, stay where you are.'"

"No, Renee, stay where you are." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Are they in the room with you? Answer yes or no," Kate demanded.

"No."

"Good. Say, 'Renee, trust me.'"

"Renee, trust me," Bella pleaded.

"You know, when I was looking into your background I never expected to find a link between Rosalie and you. It's very interesting. Of course, now that Rosalie knows who you are, she has to be dealt with also. But no matter, I'm sure James and Victoria have very fun ideas, if not repetitive to Rosalie."

Tears flowed down Bella's cheeks.

"Now, listen very carefully. I'm going to need to need you to get away from your friends; do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no."

"Yes," Bella answered knowing that she could not, but not wanting Renee to be harmed.

"Good, I know it won't be easy, but you convinced a vampires you were the best for him, I'm sure you can get away from two," Kate's voice escalated to near pain. "And you must know enough about us by now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone along with you. And how little time I would need to deal with Renee if that was the case. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Bella's voice broke.

"Very good, Bella. Now this is what I want you to do. There is a deserted house five blocks away from you; remember this address- I won't repeat it. One-Twenty-Four Seventy-Sixth Street."

Bella scrambled to write the numbers down on hotel stationary as Kate continued.

"Get away from Esme and Alice and catch a cab and come to this address. It's important that you don't make your friends suspicious. I need you to think and plan that you'll do whatever Alice wants you to do. I would hate for James and Victoria to have to hurt Alice and Esme to get to you."

"He'll never forgive you if you hurt them," Bella whispered, hoping Alice didn't hear her or thought she was speaking of Charlie.

"Of course not, but it doesn't matter. I have royal plans for Edward, plans that some people won't let him refuse," Kate sneered. "Now, say, 'Thank you, Renee.'"

"Thank you, Renee." Bella tried to fight back tears.

"Goodbye, Bella. I look forward to seeing you again." Kate hung up.

Bella was frozen in terror, thinking of how to make Alice think she was going with her and getting away at the same time.

"Don't even think about it, Bella," Alice exclaimed.

Bella looked at her in dread as Alice stared daggers into her.

"I have to; she has Renee," Bella pleaded.

"Bella, listen, you won't save her."

"I have to try," Bella pleaded.

"It won't work," Alice assured. "Her plan is to kill you and have James and Victoria kill Rosalie, in the same way Royce killed her. They're going to sexually torture her and then rip her to pieces."

"No," Bella gasped.

"Yes, and she knows Edward will want revenge and will follow her. She is planning on leading him to Volterra where he will become a vampire slave to the Volturi because of his talent. He'll never get away from them, that is her punishment for leaving her."

Bella let the waves of dreadfulness wash over her.

"What do we do?" she murmured.

"We stop her." A familiar but unexpected voice stated. Bella whipped around towards the voice.

"Edward?" she sobbed as she was engulfed in his strong arms. She barely registered his clothes were ripped and tattered and muddy. His hair was more of a disaster than normal and he looked ravenous.

"Edward?" she cried unbelieving it was really him. "How are you here; you're not supposed to land for another hour." Awfulness washed over Bella when she realized Kate was probably in hearing range. "Oh, god, you can't be here, what if Kate hears you and kills Renee? You have to leave; you can't be here."

"Bella, calm down. Everything is fine, sit down and I will explain."

As Edward carried her to the couch Bella, she saw Esme had returned.

"I don't understand," Bella cried.

"Bella, I'm sorry, we lied to you," Edward offered, eyes looking directly into her, "I lied to you."

"What?" Bella asked.

"I tracked Kate here to Douglas and knew her plan, but Alice saw that we had to let her think she had the upper hand to stop her," Edward explained.

"What about Renee?" Bella asked.

Bella could see the hesitance and dull, dead look cross the three vampires. She didn't want to admit she saw the answer to Renee. She shook her head vehemently and sobbed, "No, no, no, no she's alive. She's not dead because of me. She's alive. I heard her voice ten minutes ago on the phone, and she's alive."

"Bella, listen," Alice began, but was interrupted by Bella. "NO, you're wrong. She did not die because of me," she yelled.

"No, she did not die because of you," Edward said in his most soothing voice- "but she has passed away."

"What are talking about?" Bella cried.

Edward looked at Alice, stood up, and walked with Bella into one of the bedrooms.

"Lie down with me?" he asked.

Bella wanted to get out of the room… to find Kate herself… to do something, but she was broken. Someone had died because of her. Someone who had abandoned her when she was child, someone who had wanted nothing to do with her, but someone she had loved regardless.

"She died because of me, Edward," Bella urged.

"No, she didn't," Edward countered as he picked her up and lay her on the bed. "You did not play any role in her death. You had nothing to do with it."

"Tell me what happened from the beginning," she demanded.

"We traced Kate to Kansas City two days ago. She was searching for something, but she was clever and only thought, 'her', she never thought a name or thought of what she looked like."

"You didn't know she was looking for Renee?" Bella asked.

"No, I did not. We were all confused as to what she was looking for; until yesterday when she asked someone about a Renee Dwyer."

"Dwyer?" Bella wondered.

"Renee had married a Phil Dwyer, years ago apparently."

"The baseball player?" she asked.

"Yes. Kate was directed to an old landlord who told her Renee was currently in a hospital. She looked around in her apartment and found an old video of her looking for you."

"That doesn't make sense; her voice was different. It was smokier, raspier," Bella said.

"It wasn't Renee's voice you heard-it was Kate imitating what Renee sounds like in the last video of her she found," Edward explained.

"So, she's not here at all?" Bella asked.

"No, she was in an Intensive Care Unit in Kansas City yesterday. When Kate made her decision to come find you, Rosalie and I went to see Renee while Carlisle watched Kate look through her apartment," Edward said.

"How did she know I was here?"

"We think someone was tracking Alice or Esme's credit card and found you here, but we are not sure."

"You and Rosalie went to see Renee?" Bella asked.

"Yes. Renee was on very powerful pain killers and antibiotics. I read her chart; she had Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the liver. She was in and out of consciousness and her doctors had given her less than forty-eight hours to live the day before."

"Cirrhosis is from alcohol and drugs, right?" Bella inquired.

"From what I could tell from the landlord, she didn't live a great life; she was only diagnosed with both last year. It had been severely advanced by the time she went to a doctor," Edward informed her. "Bella, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Bella said. "I'm not; she made her choices. I didn't want her to die because of me, as selfish as that is; I didn't want to be the cause of her death."

"It's not selfish to think like that," Edward preached. "It's selfless; you were willing to save her from Kate. That is not selfish, Bella, that is brave."

"Brave?" Bella laughed. "Is bravery willing to meet a vampire to possibly save someone you don't even know anymore?"

"You were never going to be meeting Kate or any other vampire," Edward voiced looking hard at her, "but, yes, it is brave to want to save someone, no matter who that someone is."

"So, what happened next?" Bella queried.

"Rosalie wanted to kill Renee herself, but I assured her that she wouldn't be living much longer. I hadn't seen that much rage in Rosalie since she had woken up a vampire. I had told Rosalie the basics of Renee and Charlie while tracing Kate," Edward explained.

"Is that how Kate knew to locate Renee?" Bella inquired.

"No, we weren't within hearing range of Kate when I told her. I think Victoria learned of Renee in Forks and located her information for Kate. Kate read some texts that didn't make sense until she found Renee."

"Are they after Charlie too? Where are James and Victoria?" Bella pleaded for information.

"She was originally after Charlie also; when he went to La Push last night, she was run off by the Quileute tribe," Edward said.

"How did the Quileute tribe run off a vampire?" Bella wondered.

"Another story all together, but Victoria turned towards Arizona. James or Victoria slipped and the decisions were put in place and Alice could see what they had planned. Kate didn't make her way to Arizona until last night before I called you. Alice had already sent me the plan, but saw we had to let Kate think she had us fooled," he said.

"So, you lied to me," Bella said.

"I'm sorry, but yes; we didn't know if Victoria was somehow close enough to you to hear us, so we…" Edward called and changed "…I lied to you."

Bella nodded. She could understand why they had lied. She was prepared to lie to Alice and Esme to get away from them.

"Renee?" Bella asked.

"She passed away yesterday as Rosalie and I were leaving," he stated, but Bella felt he was leaving something out.

"Is there anything else I should know about your visit?" she begged.

"You may not like it," Edward warned.

"Just tell me," she pressed.

Edward sighed and hugged her harder to him.

"Like I said, she was going in and out of consciousness. She was coming to when we were there. I wanted to leave, but Rosalie refused. She knew what could happen if Renee came to enough to recognize her."

"She recognized her, didn't she?" Bella hinted.

Bella thought Rosalie may have scared Renee or maybe throttled her for doing what she had done to Bella.

"She woke up and saw me first. She was confused; she barely recognized me. But when she looked at Rosalie, she knew immediately who it was," Edward admitted. "She was scared, terrified. We were both hungry and our eyes were completely black."

"I can't imagine being her spot," Bella commented.

"Between hunger and anger, Rosalie barely kept control of herself. She _snarled_ and _growled_ at Renee. She thought we were demons come to take her to hell," he admitted. "The panic of it put too much stress on her and she had a heart attack. We left when her monitors alerted her nurses. She passed before we left the parking lot."

Bella nodded her head. "She wasn't my adoptive mother anymore. She gave up her parental rights to me years ago."

"She was still a big part of your life," he argued.

"She did more bad than good," she countered.

"I love you," he announced.

"Me, too."

They heard the door to the hotel suite quietly close a few moments later.

"Where are they now?" she asked.

"All of them, Kate, James, and Victoria were in Douglas. All of them were waiting for you," Edward said sternly.

"Were?" Bella asked.

"They weren't expecting Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and me to show up," he said.

"But you're here with me, not with them," Bella inquired.

"I was within feet of Kate when she was talking to you," he hesitated, "She was going to torture you for hours, until I could find you. I tried to talk to her, get her to stop, but she wouldn't understand. When she realized I wasn't alone, that it was a disadvantage on her part, she lunged for me. Rosalie grabbed her. I made sure everyone was okay. Rosalie and Carlisle and I took care of Kate and Victoria quickly. Jasper and Emmett..." He didn't finish, just shook his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about; they're fine," he assured, but she insisted she wanted all of the information.

"What are you not telling me?" she asked.

He sighed and told her, "We knew what James had in store for Rosalie; you can guess what Emmett and her reactions were."

He continued reluctantly, "We rarely get to use our full strength. Play fighting can only go so far even with us; even we have to ease up at some point. Fighting James, Jasper and Emmett don't have to ease up. Their playing with him; it could go on for hours, if not days."

"Wow," Bella offered.

"I shouldn't have told you that," he complained.

"No, I want to know everything."

"Esme and Alice have left to go buy everyone clothes, so we can leave," he said.

"Leave?" Bella asked terrified they were leaving without her.

"Well, we do have a summer semester to start next week and other things to contend with," he said.

"What about Kate's family? Tanya?"

"When Tanya found out Kate's plans included Rosalie and dragging me into slavery with the Volturi, she..." He shook his head from the memory. "She's devastated it had to end this way, but she knows Kate would have never stopped. She would have never forgiven me. She would have killed you eventually and I would have killed Kate."

"So, it's really over?" she asked.

"It's over," he assured.

"No more Glaring Kate?" Bella asked.

"No more," Edward promised.

They cuddled on the bed for a few minutes soaking in everything that happened.

"I bought a box of condoms," Bella suddenly announced.

"Rosalie's just a floor down and can hear us," he said. "She'd like to speak with you."

"Let's just cuddle for a few more minutes, until Alice and Esme come back."

"Okay," he laughed. "You need a nap from what I hear."

Bella leaned up away from Edward.

"Thank you," she said leaning back down to kiss him.

"For what?" he asked against her lips.

"Thank you for saving me, again," she yawned and snuggled into him.

As Bella slipped into unconsciousness she heard Edward say, "I'll always save you, Bella."

* * *

Thoughts? Bella and Rosalie reunion and what's to come next. I'll try to get it to you within four weeks.

I'm on twitter as stigmame. Come chat and tell me to get off Twitter and get to work.


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